Welcome to Hell: The 225th Hunger Games
by Grimshadow17
Summary: Another year and another 24 innocent lives sacrificed to the Capitol's bloodthirsty tradition. 24 kids go in, 1 comes out the Victor. But the Quarter Quell this year holds many surprises that might make surviving much more difficult.
1. The 225th Hunger Games Officially Begin!

**_And so it begins..._**

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><p><span>Nathaniel Vice's POV<span>

I love the smell of waffles and having breakfast in bed. It reminds me of my childhood, a time when I used to play with toy soldiers and pretend they were fighting in glorious battles. Now I play with the lives of 24 children on national television every year. Only this time the blood and slaughter isn't make-believe. It's real.

I hate my nostalgic moments; they always put me in a bad mood. And no-one likes me when I'm in a bad mood. There is one thing however, that has me incredibly excited this morning. My Avox servant lays down my waffles and strawberry mousse on my lap while I giggle impatiently like a child.

Today is the day that President Swift opens the card for this year's Quarter Quell; written down and kept hidden for the past 225 years. I have a particular reason to be excited about the news. As Chief Game-maker I need to use this information to design my arena. Of course I have a basic design already, a rather exciting and revolutionary one in my opinion. But without the special rulings my plans are just simply incomplete.

The role of Chief Game-maker is not as simple as everyone thinks it is. It is my job to make the games exciting! I need to get into the minds of the tributes, try to understand them on such a level that I can anticipate their actions, and trigger certain responses in the arena. If I don't; if it's boring or lacks any entertainment value, then it's my head on the chopping block. I've had this job for the past three years now so at least I have some experience, but this Quarter Quell might just prove to be too challenging for me.

I turn on my TV just as President Swift just as steps forward to the microphone. Talk about good timing.

He begins the same way he has for the past 12 years of his presidency. "This year we celebrate 225 years of peace and prosperity among the districts. It is through hard work and dedication from every citizen of Panem that makes this nation what is it today. It is now time to open the Card left to us by our forefathers, and formally begin this, the 225th Hunger Games and 9th Quarter Quell!"

The sound of applause nearly breaks the speakers on my television. I honestly don't know why everyone loves this guy. It seems like every new president that takes over is more selfish and self-absorbed than the one that came before. However, Swift does seem able to hide it better than most.

President Swift reaches off-screen and brings back a rather dusty old envelope. It's a miracle that it has lasted the test of time for so long. "The Instructions read thus: To remind the rebels that the Capitol is capable of both cruelty and mercy in equal measure, and to this day still has the power to do so, there will be no cornucopia this year!"

The crowd murmurs, this is nothing new. The tributes have been deprived of the Cornucopia before. It just makes for a more violent bloodbath, with kids being throttled and beaten to death rather than slashed and hacked.

President Snow holds up his hand for silence. "That is the cruelty that the Capitol can perform. Depriving tributes of weapons, supplies and equipment, thus crippling their chances of survival. However, as mentioned the Capitol also offers leniency and mercy. As such each tribute will begin the games alone, away from their enemies and safe from all harm."

Now this is new. I don't think I've heard of a Games where more than 20 kids have survived the initial bloodbath. To have all 24 running around at one time? This could be interesting. A thought suddenly pops into my head. The crowds won't like the tributes just being left alone, and where are they going to find weapons? It could backfire very heavily on President Swift –and therefore me - if these games turn into a brute strength contest. No-one enjoys seeing the stronger kids pulverize the weaker ones all the time. It is much more exciting to see the smaller kids outsmart and outwit the bigger ones. Everyone loves an underdog.

There needs to be a way to level the playing field. And maybe there is a way, in keeping with the theme of the Quarter Quell.

I have an idea, but I need to time to think this through. Perhaps I can salvage this situation...

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><p><em><strong>Sorry if this chapter was a little short guys, just trying to set the scene for the Reapings and such.<strong>_

_**Let me know what you all think? :)**_


	2. The Reapings: District 1

_**Hokay so here is the first of 12 Reaping chapters to come! Enjoy :)**_

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><p><strong><span>Fibbi Luxius POV<span>**

"Come on Rex, Fight like a man!" My dad shouts. He's currently training my 13 year old brother to be a career. Rex ducks and dodges a right hook, then spins around and delivers a swift roundhouse to my dad's kidney. Suffice to say he calls for a time-out after that.

Rex grabs his water bottle and runs over to where Michaela –our sister – and I are sitting watching the show. "Did you like that one Mickey?" He asks. I smile and give him a light swack on the back of the head while our 14 year old sister scolds him.

"You know you have to be careful with Dad, he's not as strong as he used to be and you get stronger by the day."

I leave the two to their little argument and head off by myself. The Reapings are today, and I've decided that I want to volunteer. I just want to prove to my parents that I have the potential, just like Rex. My parents have refused to train me for years, saying I was a disappointment and a failure; 'flawed'. Thankfully the three of us kids disagreed and I've been secretly taking lessons with Rex while Mickey distracts mum and dad. I'll watch one of his training sessions and then Rex will show me how to do the movements later that night. It's not a perfect system, but it does the job. I wouldn't call myself a master of any one skill, but rather a Jack-of-all-trades

My parents decided pretty early on in my childhood that I was 'slow'. Since i still had to go to school they put me in a class full of people with learning disabilities so I wouldn't embarrass them by being around the 'normal kids'. Even though i didn't have the opportunity to learn much, one good thing did come out of that class. That's when i met my best friend Neon. He was a couple of years older than me, but he was deaf so he had trouble picking up things in class, hence why he was with us younger kids. He was bullied a lot for being deaf, but he was a little on the scrawny side so he wasn't able to protect himself. One day i saw one of his bullies pour milk all over his clothes in the cafeteria. That's when I snapped. The kid had his arm in a cast for 3 months, and the school had to bolt the tables to the floor for 'safety reasons'. What can i say; when i get angry i get really really angry.

Hanging out with Neon was hard at first until he slowly began to teach me sign language so we could communicate. Now I interpret what the teachers are saying for him in class and we both get straight A's. Despite everything my teacher's tell my parent's they still can't believe that am smart or capable at all, even now that I'm 17. That's why I'm going to volunteer; I'll show them all that I'm worth something. I can do this, I'll prove them all wrong and they'll see once and for all. I will make them proud. Maybe then they'll understand.

I see Neon across the street and wave to him. He comes over at a run with a big grin on his face.

'What's got you so happy?' I sign.

'Nothing. Why? Do I need a reason to be happy?' he signs back

'Nah, but you should be happy for me. I'm gonna volunteer this year.'

He turns around and places a hand firmly on my chest, signing furiously with his other one. 'What the hell are you thinking? You won't survive one day in that arena'

'C'mon not you too' I sign as I push him away. 'Out of everyone's your support is the one I need the most right now. You're the only person who understands me. Plus you know what my family's like; I need to prove myself to my parents.'

He pokes a finger in my chest hard enough to bruise. 'You don't need to prove yourself to anyone but yourself'.

I have to agree with him. But that's what this is about too. All my life I've been told I can't do certain things because I'm different, slow, retarded. This is my chance to prove to them and myself that I can do those things that everyone else can do too. I think he sees the determination in my eyes because he sighs and steps back. 'Thank you' I sign to him, and he nods in reply. He's probably the one person who can actually understand the emotions I'm feeling right now.

We walk together to the Reapings, but we have to get there early. I want to be as close to the front of the stage as possible so that no-one can argue that I haven't volunteered. We wait silently as the rest of the crowd pours in. You can see the excitement on everyone's face. I've never been able to hide my emotions well, but for once my expression is a match for everyone else's. I'm excited for these games. It's time for me to show everyone what I'm made of.

Finally the time comes when the male tribute is called. The escort barely finishes calling his name before I jump up onto the podium. Everyone is shocked. I see people point and stare, but I don't care. I'm officially a tribute now; and it's my time to shine.

**Emilia Escot POV**

"Emilia! Can you please give me a hand here dear?" My mother Sophia calls from her studio. She sews for the upper class of our district. Anything from attaching a button to a damaged outfit, to creating large draping silks for ballrooms. It's a very boutique operation.

I help her feed the satin through the sewing machine. This just happens to be an extra long piece so of course my mother can't do it on her own. One stitch awry and she would have to ditch the fabric and start again. Her clients pay handsomely for handmade perfection, and my mother always delivers no matter the cost. I'm much the same.

I think to myself that I really have nothing to complain about in this life of mine. I have everything that I could ever dream of. Not that I'm spoiled or anything, my parents have always taught me and my younger sister Lilyella that everything has a value and comes at a cost. But the really important things in life, like family and friends, I have. It's a nice thought.

As if she knew i was thinking about her my sister comes barging into my mother's studio, almost disturbing the delicate sewing machine. "Hey Emilia, i was wondering if you could walk me to the Reapings today. Mummy's working and Daddy's still at the factory."

Our father Thomas works in a factory that refines the wool purchased from district 10 into high quality cloth for either re-sale or to be made into something else. It isn't the best job in the world but dad seems to enjoy it.

"Sure thing Lil" I reply with a smile. "Just as soon as mum and I finish up here." Lilyella was named after my maternal grandmother Lily, and my paternal grandmother Ella, both of which were past victors.

Lily squeals with delight and skips out in excitement. The Reapings of District 1 are a celebration more than the dismal affair that some of the other districts make it and Lilyella loves all the lights and decorations. Almost everyone here has trained and prepared for years in order for the opportunity to compete in the Hunger Games. I myself have done a bit of hunting, a favourite pastime of mine. My parents have never been the type to push me to train though. Maybe it's because both their mother's survived the Games and they were raised listening to the horror stories.

It's not long before the sewing is done and my mother thanks me for my help. I flash her one of my brilliant smiles that light up my silver eyes and tell her that it honesty was no trouble at all. I run up the stairs two at a time and grab a jacket before meeting Lil in the Lounge room. "You ready Lil?" I ask my sister, who looks like she's about to explode with impatience.

She nods her head vigorously and grabs my hand, almost painfully dragging me out of the house in her excitement. "I don't want to miss it!" she squeals in delight. A few of Lily's friends meet us along the way and trail after me. It's not an unusual sight around District 1; little kids following me around. When I have free time I like to play games with the kids, sing to them, and even tell them stories. They just love all the attention. Don't get me wrong, it's not just kids that I hang out with. I have my own little circle of friends but sometimes they can get on my nerves. The boys are always competing to see who's strongest while the girls are always competing to see who has the most expensive outfit. After a while it can get a little tedious. That why I like the kids so much. They are innocent and not concerned with appearances, they just want to enjoy life, just like I do.

Lilyella is quite possibly my favourite person in the world. She's cute as hell, but also gets excited about the smallest thing. She once found a bottle cap on the side of the road and brought it back home, treating it as if it was worth thousands of dollars. She ended up using it to 'buy' an extra helping of dinner that night.

Our little entourage makes its way ever so slowly to the Reaping as the children admire the flashing lights that people hang from their balconies. By the time we get to the podium the square is half-full of screaming audience members. I let my sister go off with her friends as I make my way over to the other 17 year olds. It's not long before area fills up with people, it almost a struggle to see up on the podium. The escort comes out and begins her usual spiel about the hunger games and their glorious tradition throughout history. It seems to get some of the kids around me really excited, but I'm not really effected. Finally she ends her little speech and it comes time to choose the tribute's for this year. My good friend Brock Onyx is called up, and I'm excited for him, he deserves the opportunity. But before I can cheer another boy leaps up on stage to take Brock's place. I can tell the whole audience is stunned. Not only at the suddenness, but the fact that Brock had been training his whole life for these games and everyone knew it. He turns 19 in a month so this was going to be his last Reaping. Our escort goes on as if nothing has happened. I recognise the boy though. He's in my year level at school, but in the 'foundation' class. I've never spoken to him but I've never seen him training or anything like that. He looks determined, but I'm pretty sure he just lost all chances at sponsorship from anyone in District 1 for taking Brock's place.

I'm too distracted by this newcomer that I only just hear the female tribute's name being called. "Lilyella Escot!"

I can't breathe. This cannot be happening. I look over and see my little sister with tears in her eyes. She never dreamed that she could get Reaped, and now that she has she's lost all of her innocence. I can't let that happen to her. I could never stand to see her get hurt. Before Lilyella takes even one step I'm running up to the podium shouting "I volunteer! I volunteer!"

I'll win for you Lilyella, I promise.

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><p><em><strong>This is actually one of my shorter Reapings :P<strong>_

_**By the way, just as a general rule, if i ever present your tribute in a way that you don't like or you feel is unjustified, or i just plain screw them over completely then feel free to PM me and i will try to stick closer to what your tribute should be like.**_

_**That is of course unless because i didn't write your character the way you feel they should have been it resulted in their death... Really sorry if that happens, and i'll try my hardest for that not to happen, but obviously there's no way to come back from that if it does :P**_


	3. The Reapings: District 2

**_And here's District 2! haha not all my updates will be this quick, i just happened to have both 1 and 2 already written :P _**

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><p><strong><span>Mason Stone POV<span>**

"Sequence five, again!" My father shouts. "Thrust! Side cut! Backhand side! Overhand! Overhead backhand!"

I perform the sequence flawlessly as Penelope performs the required blocks, but we've been training since sun-up and I can feel my arms getting heavy with the sword in my hands. My father opens his mouth to shout some more commands but I Interrupt. "Dad, that's enough" I say breathlessly as I shake the sweat out of my messy brown hair.

My father Robert looks like he's about to yell, but then his face transforms into a bright smile. "Of course son, of course. You've done well, both of you. And think about it this way, after today's Reapings you won't ever have to train again!"

I laugh and put an arm around my dad's shoulders. He's right. Next year I'll be 19 come Reaping day so I'll be done with the Hunger games; and good riddance. But truth be told, I didn't start training because I wanted to ready for the hunger games. No-one who gets reaped in District 2 goes in anyway, there's always some hotshot out there who thinks he's better than the rest of us and volunteers. I started training so that I could protect my younger brother Thom.

It's so unfair. We live in a society based on appearance and strength. So when my brother was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy that caused his body to become weak and frail, he became ostracised and bullied. I started training to protect him, because I couldn't stand to see him get hurt. The most unfair thing? Is that there already exists a cure for it. But those selfish pigs at the Capitol keep it under tight lock and key, and they're not even willing to spare a single drop for the districts. It's disgusting.

Penelope breaks me out of my reverie with a light smack on the head. "Wake-up you Goose, for the first time in 5 years we have the whole morning to ourselves. Let's do something fun before the Reapings start."

I nod my assent and we take a light stroll through the park where my dad trains us. It's really close to my house so it's incredibly convenient.

Maybe It's because this will be my last Reaping so I'll finally be free of the Capitol's cruel tradition, but I start to think about my life and where I want to go with It.

I don't really have any friends other than Penelope. It's because I'm so defensive of my brother. It disgusts everyone around us that I could care for a weakling. Even my sister is ashamed of Thom. She's part of the 'popular circle' at school, not that I care about that, but I swear Samantha is the one who always tells her boyfriend and his mates to bully Thom. How she could do that to her younger brother is beyond me. Penelope – on the other hand- Is very sympathetic to our family and Thom's situation. I think that's what I love about her.

But I could never tell her how I feel. I'm sure that it would push her away, and I can't handle losing my only friend. So I force myself to Ignore the way her long blonde hair seems float in the breeze, or the way her lips curve when she smiles. _Crap I'm thinking about her again, _I shake the thoughts out of my head and focus on something else.

"Something on your mind?" she asks casually.

"Not really. Just thinking about some stuff" I reply vaguely.

"Fairs enough. Well what would you like to do?"

"Not sure, maybe we should just head over early? I'd hate to miss out on the show."

District 2's Reapings are the most lavish celebration of the year. After the names are called out there are fireworks and confetti flying around. It's like a bloody parade. Penny shrugs her shoulders signifying that she doesn't mind. Then an evil grin appears on her face. "Last one there's a rotten egg". And with that she whips past me.

I waste no time sprinting after her, a giant smile plastered all over my face. We dodge and weave through the streets, avoiding pedestrians and cars alike. Horns honk and people yell but we don't care. I'm actually catching up to her. I might look tall and lanky with my long arms and legs but I'm still quite built, and very quick. Penny might be lighter and weaker, but she's a lot more agile than I am. Through the straight runs I can catch up slightly, but I always lose ground through the curving side-streets.

Before long we have the main square in our sights and the two of us are neck and neck. I take a moment to glance In her direction to see If I'm getting ahead, but Its right at that moment when I'm not watching the ground In front of me that I step on the most cliché of objects. A banana peel. My arms windmill as I try to keep my balance but I just have too much forward momentum and I slip, my body flying horizontal in a superman-like pose. Luckily I recover with a barrel roll, but by this time Penny has already won. I'm not fussed; I can always lie and said I let her win.

We walk out together and take our respective places before the podium. Already we can see that this year's decorations are more garish than ever. We don't have to wait long for the 'performance' as I'd like to call it, to begin. Honestly, I'm so distracted by all flashing light effects and pyrotechnics which were clearly the work of District 3 engineers that I barely pay attention to what our escort is saying until she calls out the name of the male tribute.

"Thom Stone!"

Upon hearing that name I freeze up, but await the telltale sound of someone volunteering. The Square is silent. This can't be right. I watch the fear on my brother's face as my mum and dad slowly walks him up to the podium. I can see that my mum is devastated and so is my dad, he's just hiding It behind a mask of emotionlessness. This can't be happening. There's only ever been 1 year when there hasn't been a volunteer from District 2 and that was because the kid's parents started screaming and shouting with joy that no-one on the stage could have heard anyone volunteering even If they tried.

I notice the looks of disgust on everyone's faces around me. Do they truly hate him that much? They would let him go to die? My hopes are raised when one of my sister's friend's raises his hand to volunteer, but the guy next to him grabs his arm and rips it down before the kid can do so.

It's hopeless. My little brother is now fighting to make it up the stairs to the podium, if he can barely do that how is he meant to last a second in the games? I can't bear to watch. Tears stream down my face. I know what I have to do. I have to do the same thing that I have been doing my whole life; protect my little brother. "I volunteer!"

**Ayame Wolfe POV**

Could today possibly get any worse? Its Reaping time, but it's not as If my parents haven't been reminding us for the past week and a half. You'd think that having 3 children die in the hunger games would make them calm down, but no. They're still just as in love with the bloody event as ever they were, perhaps even more so this year. Because now that I'm 15, I have to follow our family 'tradition' and volunteer for the games. Last year my brother Zane let them down. He was all ready and set to volunteer, but he pushed himself too hard in a training session the week before the games and injured his leg. My parents won't accept anything other than perfection so they allowed him to sit those games out on the proviso that he volunteer when he's 18, that's If another one of us sibling's doesn't win first. To this day I'm still not sure If Zane hurt himself on purpose or by accident.

Koda's death hit all of us hard, but especially Zane and me. Koda was my little baby brother, reaped for the hunger games two years ago at 12 years old. My parents were overjoyed that one of their children had been Reaped, 'It was a sign that he was destined to win' they said. In fact they kicked up such a stink when he was reaped that he made it to the podium before anyone could volunteer for him. Not that they would have, but there's always someone willing to show off. After he was brutally murdered our view on the games was changed forever. I used to love it too, and so did Zane, but now we can't stand to see kid after kid killed for amusement. Do I think Zane hurt himself on purpose so he wouldn't have to volunteer and die like Koda? It's possible. But he won't ever tell me and I would never ask, the Wolfe blood makes us too proud for that.

"Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!" I hear my little sister Sapphire call from the other room.

I doubt that she heard. Our mother isn't exactly a model parent. In fact the reason she had so many kids was to Increase the chances of one of our family winning. Fame and glory, that's all the woman is after. My father isn't so bad, but he's still very fixated on the games. He's the one who undertook all of our training; making sure we were ready to follow in the footsteps of our dead brothers and sisters. He's pretty observant as well. I think I get my brains from him, because mum is as thick as a tonne of bricks. He probably suspects that I might try to injure myself like he suspects Zane did, which is why I've been on house arrest for the past few days. No school, no friends. Just Me, him and a dusty old book on different roots, flowers and vegetables that I've never even seen before, let alone eaten. I'm glad because it shows that he does care; he actually wants us to survive the games, whereas my mum is just concerned with us winning.

"MUMMY!" my sister's wails get louder.

"Shut up Saph I'm cooking you breakfast! Keep yelling that way and you'll starve" my mum replied from the kitchen.

Sapphire huffs and crosses her arms, I can hear her as she turns to go back to her room "I'll cook you for breakfast".

Man that kid is creepy. She's just like my mum though, obsessed with the games. If our parents let her, she'd probably volunteer this year if she could. I turn to my dad and ask him if we can quit I with the study. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. He nods and gives me a kiss on the forehead, a little tradition that he has whenever one of us is volunteering. He gets up and follows after Saph, most likely to calm her down and get her to breakfast.

I take a deep breath and exhale as I leave my house. There's another little tradition that we do in our family. I walk down the cobblestone path that leads from our back door to a little clearing on our property. I kneel on the soft dirt and reach out a hand towards the gravestones resting there. The first Is Emerald, my oldest sibling and the first of us to volunteer for the games. There's a photo of her on the mantle at home. She was my mum's favourite.

Funny how we don't think about these things until it's too late, but that's probably why my mum barely cares about us, because she's afraid of being hurt, like she was when Emerald died.

Next I pay my respects to Cliff, my oldest brother. He would have been 18 now. He volunteered the year before Koda was reaped. We weren't really that close but he was still my brother.

And finally, Koda. A solitary tear escapes as I trace his name with my finger. For you Koda; for you I will win these games.

After a few minutes in silence begin making my way back to the house to say my final goodbyes. It isn't a sad farewell. My mother is as distant as always, but now I notice the few times where she sneaks a glance at the photo on the mantle. My dad hugs me and tells me that he'll be watching over me every step of the way. And then little Sapphire walks up to me with a sneaky grin on her face. "You better not die too quickly" she tells me. I guess that's just her morbid way of saying good luck. I hug her too and then leave for the Reaping.

I like getting to the Reapings on time, and today it's even more important. I centre myself and prepare for the scariest moment of my life.

The male tribute's name is called and I recognise the sick kid in the year level above me at school, when he shows up that is. Surprisingly no-one volunteers for him. Not even one of the older kids who I know are just itching to get into the games. I look around me and see the visible hatred on everyone's faces. Suddenly a shout of "I volunteer!" breaks the silence. It's the guy's brother, Mason I think.

I release a breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding. I'm glad he isn't going in to the games. There's just no way I could have brought myself to kill that kid, even If I thought I was putting him out of his misery. The older boy takes his place up on the podium, visibly trying to hold back the tears that are streaming down his face.

And now it's time for the female tribute to be chosen. I feel my heart start to beat faster in nervous anticipation. I'm ready for this. No matter whose name gets pulled Its my time now. As much as I hate the thought of killing someone, I have to win so that no-one else in my family needs to be sacrificed again.

"And the female tribute is... Penelope Slate!"

Mason up on the podium lets out a bloodcurdling scream. It's so chilling that I nearly forget what I'm meant to do. But before anyone else can, I step forward. "I volunteer!".

I make my own way up to the podium, and as I take my position, Mason mouths the words 'thank you' to me. I honestly don't know what that's all about but I nod in response anyway. Best to let him think I saved her on purpose. You never know when something like that might come in handy In the Arena.


	4. The Reapings: District 3

**_Alrighty so this is my fourth and last update for the day, and just so we all know, I already had these chapters written so my future updates are not as likely to be this fast :P_**

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><p><strong><span>Daniel Di Vinci POV<span>**

One more hour in the electronics lab can't hurt. I've tinkering with a little robot that is meant to be able create an electromagnetic field in its vicinity, by so far I've had nothing produced except a little static electricity. Even though we have the Reapings today I really want to get this done. It really isn't going to serve a purpose; I just wanted to see if I could do it.

"Hey Danny" comes a whisper from the shadows. "Whatchya workin on?"

I nearly fly out of my chair in surprise, but then I see it's my best friend Hunter. Knowing it's him calms me down slightly but I still feel a little nervous. "Don't creep up on me like that man, you know that's my style." He laughs and shrugs his shoulders. Hiding in the shadows is my thing tho, which is why I'm tucked in here at the electronics lab at school. "It's meant to be a portable EM field but I just can't get enough electricity to form.

His eyebrows crease "have you tried increasing the current?" he moves away from the door and comes closer but now I just feel self-conscious. Hunter and I have known each other since we were three, but I still wouldn't trust him around my experiments.

"Whoa man, personal space, you know I hate it when people watch me doing something." I turn back to the little machine, flicking my fringe out of my eye as I do so, only to have I fall back over it immediately. "I tried increasing the current, voltage, reversing the polarity of the electrodes; I'm seriously getting nothing man!"

People don't think I'm actually that smart because of my looks. Girls can call me cute or hot or whatever, but I'm still the guy who likes to hide in the shadows. Sure I flirt with the girls, if it's in my interests or I can get a hook-up out of it, but otherwise I'd much rather be in here and actually using my brain to make stuff.

"C'mon man you need to get some air; seriously it's like a freakin' boiler room in here. And I'd know, my dad works in the same power plant as yours remember? Except on work experience I had to go there and you got to work in that sweet robotics factory."

Hunter is trying to convince me to leave, and it's so tempting, but if I just had one more hour...

"I'll call Alyssa on you"

That makes me stand up straight away. If there's one person you don't want 'convincing' you to do anything it's my other best friend Alyssa. Usually her form of convincing is grabbing me by the ear and dragging me out. It's happened that many times that as soon as someone mentions her name I bolt away from whatever I'm doing.

Hunter laughs as he trails after me and closes the door behind us. The room locks itself but the school has trusted me with a key considering how advanced I am with the electronic equipment. My little experiment is safe and will still be there when I get back.

Once we leave the building I change from my geeky self to my much more charismatic and suave self. With a little swagger in my step the girls always take a second glance. I like playing around with the girls' feelings, breaks up the monotony a little. As more people start to look our way Hunter seems to slink further and further into my shadow.

Despite how he is around me he's actually quite a shy person. Four years ago when hunter and I were 12 he was Reaped. Thankfully another kid volunteered for him and Hunter was saved. But then he had to watch as the boy who saved his life was butchered on national television after making it to the top three. He's just never been the same since, just a lot shyer, quieter. A lot like me when I want to be.

Alyssa sees us from across the street and comes running over to us. "Oh thank GOD I found you guys" she blurts out. "I was just walking around minding my own business when all of a sudden George Dunstan came out of nowhere and we was all like, 'Whatchya doin here, this is my territory'. Well you know what I said to him then! I said..."

Hunter and I have learned to tune out when Alyssa goes on one of her rants. They happen far too often and usually have no relevance to anything whatsoever.

"...And that's why you should never slap a sleeping turtle" she finished smiling proudly.

We just smile and pretend like we were listening as we continue on our walk to the Reapings. It's a little chilly so I pull up the hood on my favourite hoodie. It's Black and yellow, a present from my dad. We don't get to see him a lot at home so it's sort of a big deal for me. All three of us realize at the same time that, we're just a fraction late for the Reaping ceremony, and that our escort is about to call the name of the male tribute. Alyssa gives us both the thumbs up and sneaks her way through to the group of 16 year old girls next to us.

"And the male tribute from District 3 is... Daniel Di Vinci!"

For the first time in my life my overactive brain shuts down. Did she really just call my name. Next to me Hunter looks equally stunned, then he raises his hand. He's going to volunteer. I force my brain to work again and cover his mouth before he can shout. He can see the look in my eyes. I'm saying that I won't let him die for me. Fate gave him a second chance, and now it's my turn to let fate run its course.

He looks stricken, and tears start cascading down his face, but he nods his understanding.

I turn around and begin my walk to the podium. It's the longest walk I've ever had to make. Suddenly I smile. If they had to pick someone, at least they picked one of the smartest kids in District 3.

**Tayla Candrum POV**

I miss the Capitol. All the pretty lights and tall buildings. Or at least that's all of it I can remember from my childhood. My mother married a Peacekeeper back when she still lived in D3. That thought alone sends shivers down my spine. How anyone could fall in love with one of _them_ and especially my dad I'll never know. But it happened, and when he was promoted to Head peacekeeper they were relocated to the Capitol. My mum was grateful. She had kids to worry about and a life in the Capitol was a life of luxury and protection. That's when I was born. I was first though, by a minute; because suddenly out popped Sam and Andra too. Triplets. My parents were so happy. Then.

My dad was never one for the rules, which is why I 'm so surprised he was promoted so early on in his career. He used to take us kids out beyond the fences when we were younger. There were us three, my older Sisters Dryna and Raina, and my older brother Erik too. One thing I am glad for is that our father taught us how to survive in the wild. Back then he was a good dad, teaching us everything we needed to know about life. Apparently he had a book about the Mockingjay Katniss Everdeen that he loaned from President Swift on the proviso that he read the book so that nothing like that rebellion ever happens again. Like I said my father was never one for the rules. He taught us all about Katniss, hunting, surviving in the wild. Dryna and I were the fastest learners, and he took the two of us out sometimes to teach us the more advanced stuff, like how to use weapons, poisons, all the ways to prevent others from surviving.

But – like I said – my dad was never one for the rules, which after while extended to the rules of marriage. His power went to his head and he began abusing it. He started staying out late, sleeping around. Eventually he got fed up with all of us and divorced my mother. It wasn't like she could say no. So here we are back in District 3, the home I never knew.

Mum tries to work, but it's harder for her now. After she miscarried a year ago she became depressed, and turned to morphling and alcohol for comfort. Dryna has sort of become our mother figure now, since our actual mother can't really do much these days. Luckily I inherited her aptitude for electronics, so I've been trying to keep up with the work she needs to get done so we can still earn some money and feed our family. It's a big burden being one of the youngest and doing all the work, but it has to be done or we just won't survive, and if there's one thing my useless father taught me, it's how to survive.

I've been up all night on one of my mother's projects. It's actually a recycled idea from over a hundred years ago. There was this GUY, Beetee. He was a freaking genius! He was part-way through designing a revolutionary technology that would make crop harvesting almost completely labour-free. Unfortunately he died before his dream could be realized, but my mother found one of his old books and picked it up. Now that my mum is practically incapacitated it's fallen to me to keep the dream alive, and i have no intention of letting it die.

Dryna taps me on the shoulder and tells me its time to get going. It's really annoying because I'm so close to a breakthrough! But she is right, I can't miss the Reapings, and I can always come back to it after. She walks us triplets to the 16 year old area and Erik who is 18 goes off on his own.

For some reason I feel more nervous than usual. Maybe it's because I've only been to 2 other Reapings before. I grab onto Sam and Andra's hands; their palms are sweaty too. Maybe we're all feeling it.

The boy's name is called and its Danny Di Vinci. I actually know him, his in my advanced electronics class. We might not be good friends but it still breaks my heart to see him up there. It's so much harder when it's someone you know. I can't really make out his face though, he's too far away and I'm far-sighted, but I know that he's probably wearing that cocky smile of his.

As our escort reaches her hand into the bowl to pick the female tribute my hands tighten on those of my siblings and we all look at each other.

"Your female tribute from district 3 is Tayla Candrum! Come on down Tayla!" comes the call.

I feel like my chest has been ripped in two. It's hard to breathe. I know in a way that it's a good thing. At least it was me and none of my other siblings; they were never as good at picking up the survival skills as I was. We say nothing, but share a look that says it all. I will come back to them.

When I make my way to my place on the podium, sure enough I see Daniel's cocky smile, but I also see something else. There's fear behind that smile. He looks at me and I know that he recognises me. Well, at least I'm not going into these games completely alone.


	5. The Reapings: District 4

**_Ok I know I said that District 3 would be my last post for the day, but i promised one of you that if i finished D6's Reaping by tonight then i would update with D4's Reapings. So here it is!_**

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><p><strong><span>Jasper Eaves POV<span>**

Deep sea scavenging has never been an exact science. It's a balance of risk vs. reward, and I've always been great at weighing the odds. Even though most of District 4's economy centres around fishing, surprisingly quite a bit of money can be made through scavenging. I mean we're not just looking through old fishing boats or anything. We're the Ace crew, the guys who go searching through the old war vessels for parts and other valuables. At 15 I'm the youngest on our team of 6, but I hold my own with the big boys.

I was really lucky to get this gig. The guy who oversees all our operations is my best friend Avis' dad. I've been staying with her family for most of my life, but I officially moved in with them last year. I just couldn't stand my parents, always wanting me to train for the games and join the family business. Why couldn't I just do what I wanted to do? Then one day I couldn't take it anymore and I just left. Avis convinced her parents to let me stay with them. I've known them since I was little so it wasn't like I was a stranger. But I was only allowed to stay if I worked for my keep. So here I am.

I think I spot some movement in wreckage we're scouting but I can't be sure. I flick my shaggy black hair out of my face so I can see through the goggles more clearly. There it is again! I signal to another of our crew that there's something in the wreck. He signals back and moves in while I cover him from behind. My hand tightens on my harpoon gun; I have a bad feeling about this.

My partner peeks a head into the wreckage, looking left and right. He turns around and signals that all is clear when suddenly a giant figure knocks him out of the way. Now in the light of day I can see that it's a shark, and a big one at that. The other guys are too far away to be of any help, I'm on my own here against a massive beast. I bring the harpoon gun up to my shoulder and fire, but he's too far away and the weapon misses him by a mile. I swear as I try to reel the harpoon back in, but by now the shark has made a full circle and is coming back for me. Both hands now I'm using to pull the projectile back. The shark is just getting closer and closer, and I manage to grab the shaft of the harpoon, fumbling to reload the gun. Its jaws open just as I secure the weapon. I aim right into his mouth and I pull the trigger.

The harpoon goes right through sinew and bone and pierces the beast's brain, killing it instantly but it's momentum carries it forward. For a moment my body is curled up inside the open mouth of the now dead shark. I take a second to calm my frantic heartbeat and try to take steady, even breaths. It's very easy to hyperventilate with scuba gear on. As I climb out of the jaws my teammates crowd around to see if I'm ok. I give them the thumbs up and I can see them all smile beneath their masks. Shark meat is pretty valuable, and is considered a delicacy. We all get to share the profits from this baby, which means we'll be eating like kings for the next week or so.

Our team leader signals all of us to grab a part of it and return to the surface. Our work is done for today. I'm actually glad we didn't have to spend too much time in the water, as much as I love it. But today is Reaping day and I can't afford to miss another one. I worked through last year's Reapings and got whipped pretty badly by the Peacekeepers. I learned my lesson.

Once we return to the surface and I've changed back into normal clothes I head back to Avis' for some breakfast and to let her dad know the good news. I get there just as the family is sitting down to eat. "Morning all" I call out.

Avis smiles at me with a mouthful of food and I laugh. Her dad looks at me sternly "You finished up early today".

I nod "Yeah we caught a big shark today. The other's are back at the shed taking measurements and weighing it. No doubt Ricky will call you when they've finished. But they let me go early because they knew I had to be up here for the Reapings."

He opens his eyes wide. A big shark could mean a lot for his family. I'm glad I've managed to do something right.

We eat silently, but every once in a while I flash my emerald eyes over at the clock, making sure we're not too late. After we finish the food I thank Avis' mum for the meal and the two of us head out to the Reapings.

I see people looking at the two of us and shake my head. It's s weird, but everyone seems to think that Avis and I are a couple. I mean sure we have all the same interests and have really similar personalities but I don't think of her in that way. She's like my sister! So what if we hang out all the time? Guys and girls can be friends without all that mushy romantic stuff. I stick my tongue out at the people looking and Avis laughs.

Before we enter the main Reaping area i turn to Avis. "Hey meet me at the shed after the Reapings, yeah?" I ask her. "You have to see the shark I took out, it was huge!" I shout, opening my arms as wide as I can as if to demonstrate the size of it.

"Sure thing, see you on the other side" she says and smiles.

I take my position in the crowd as she walks off to take hers and await the calling of the tributes.

"And now, the male tribute from District 4... Jasper Eaves!"

I'm literally rooted in place. Someone pushes me forward and my legs start moving of their own accord. OH GOD! This isn't the way it was meant to happen. I wasn't meant to be Reaped. My last thought before I step up on the podium, is that I really wish I had let my parents train me for this.

**Mairin Cliona POV**

I love the ocean. Something about the ebb and flow of the tide just relaxes me like nothing else can. Today I have every reason to be tense. My dad Kiefer is forcing me to volunteer, and I'm honestly afraid what might happen if I don't. He's a Victor, and he's wanted me to follow in his footsteps so I've been training for most of my life.

He wasn't always this controlling and quick to anger though. After my mother Moana died he just lost all of his kindness. When before he would sit me aside and tell me what I did wrong in training, now he just yells, and sometimes he hits me. I know it's because he wants me to be strong like him, but sometimes it's just too much and I can't take it. That's why I'm here at the beach now. We had a particularly hard training session this morning and I was feeling the pressure. So it wasn't my fault that I missed the target with the bow and arrow. Of course my dad took it personally, started yelling and screaming, threatened to smack me over the head with the bow. I was so tempted to say doing that would just mean I wouldn't be able to volunteer this year, and since I'm 18, ever again. I resisted though, because I knew it would make him angrier. I ran instead.

Normally I would have run straight into the arms of Nolan, my boyfriend. He helped me so much through my mother's death. I felt like he was the only person who could cheer me up and make me feel better. But then he told me he was leaving me for someone else. It shattered me and my spirit. In the space of 2 months I was all alone. My father had become distant and abusive, and I no longer had Nolan to lean on. That's when I shut myself down. I couldn't let myself 'feel' anymore. Feelings just left me open to too much pain and suffering. The only time I can ever even remotely feel like my old self again is when I'm swimming in the sea. The weightless feeling and my long bluish-black hair cascading around me just calms me down and grounds me. I can't help but smile.

I wish I could stay longer in the big blue sea, but I can't. I can't stand to disappoint my father. Even though he is the way he is, he's my family and I have always been loyal to my friends and family. I make my way out of the ocean and as soon as I feel the sand beneath my toes I can feel my cold self taking over again. I don't need to go home, there's nothing there that I need. In his own weird way my father has already said goodbye and good luck. He's been training me for this moment and I cannot disappoint him.

I meet up with some friends on the way to the Reapings. One of them looks at me curiously "did you just come out of the water or something?" she asks gesturing to my wet clothes.

I give her one of my 'looks' and reply "No of course not Jenny, I tripped and fell into a puddle, on a day where the sun is shining and there's not a rain cloud in sight".

She huffs at my sarcasm, but Jenny is never one to stop talking. Once she's started a conversation it doesn't end until she says so. "I Hear you're volunteering this year too?" she asks quizzically.

"You knew this already Jen" I sigh.

"True, but I was just thinking that it's good. It means that if I get Reaped I won't have to worry because you'll just volunteer and I'll be fine" she smiles.

I give her a sarcastic smile back. "Well maybe if you do get reaped this year then I won't volunteer, it's really no big deal." It is a big deal actually. But she doesn't need to know that. I feel my spirits lift as all the color drains from her face as she thinks about being Reaped. I fight hard not to laugh at her; my other friends are giving me their 'that's enough' looks.

The rest of the way we walk in silence, which is kind of a relief. I prefer to be alone, and at least this way I can pretend to be while still not looking like a loner. We all make our way to the 18 year old area and wait for the Reapings to start. Before long our District's escort is parading around the stage swishing backwards and forwards and trying to be as entertaining as possible. Clearly she'd rather be an escort for district 1 or 2 the way she's carrying on. But our Reapings are just a tad more serious.

The male tribute is called and it's some scrawny kid I've never really seen before. He looks pretty freaked out though. Poor guy. Seconds after he takes his position the female is called up. "Ginger Jacobs!"

Damn, I'd really hoped it would have been Jenny that was Reaped. I actually did want to mess with her and wait for the last possible moment to volunteer. Oh well. "I volunteer!" I shout from the audience.

It's time to prove to my dad that I'm not as useless and pathetic as he thinks I am.

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><p><em><strong>District 5 and 6's reapings are complete but i will be posting them in about 9 hours when I wake up<strong>_

_**Please review as well if you can, i'd like to get some feedback on how other people see the tributes, not just how their 'creators'**_ **_see them._**

**_Thank all of you awesome people for contributing to this story! It honestly would not have happened without your help :)_**


	6. The Reapings: District 5

**_And here is District 5! _**

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><p><strong><span>Tristan Willows POV<span>**

"Heya squirt!" I shout out to my little brother Guy as I come barging down the stairs. I grab him in a headlock that he can't escape and noogie the hell out of him.

"Mum help!" he cries as my knuckles dig into his scalp painfully.

I let go of him. He's pathetic. Doesn't he understand that I bully him like this to make him stronger? If he wasn't so busy prancing around and doing stupid stuff like painting or music he'd actually learn a thing or two. My mum decides then that it's time to intervene and she asks me why I'm always hurting my brother. Like I care at all what she thinks. She can't stop me from doing what I want. I just glare at her until she blushes and leaves awkwardly. She better be getting my breakfast.

I love that I can just intimidate people with a single look. It's because I'm a tank; seriously. I'm probably the biggest guy in this whole district. The only person who could even think about trying to control me would be my dad, but his on a special assignment in the Capitol doing some sort of top secret experimentation. From the letters he sends it's something to do with this year's arena for the Hunger Games, it's a massive project requiring experts from Districts 3, 5 and 12. Don't know what that means and to be honest I probably couldn't care less. Without my dad around I'm free to do whatever I like.

One kid tried to stand up to me the other day. He was a tiny little thing and I was picking on him just like I pick on everyone, when all of a sudden the runt takes a swing at me! I couldn't believe it. Little runt was wearing a ring too, and his uppercut gave me a big gash right over my right eye. He's lucky I can still see through it just fine, or I would've killed the kid right then and there for messing me up. Luckily my mates Ky and John were there to hold me back. The kid got away but he left me with a crazy looking scar on my eye. I've got to find him and thank him, now I look even scarier than before.

Ky and John are just as mean as I am, if not worse. But I'm the big boss and can keep them in line – most of the time. We never used to hang out until a few years back. Back before I was the 'bully' I am now. My cousin Callum got reaped when I was 10, he was 13. We were really close back then and it tore me up inside to see him go, then it completely destroyed me when I watched him decapitated right in front of my eyes by the district 2 tribute. It was after that when I taught myself that feelings were for the weak. No-one gets anywhere by caring for others. Emotions aren't what make you strong. That's what I've been trying to teach Guy, to harden himself and his soul, but the dumb kid can't get the message. I swore vengeance against all of District 2 that day. They think they're so cool with their fancy training that killed my cousin. Well I've been doing a little training of my own, and if I ever get in that arena they're gonna rue the day they ever even touched him. An eye for an eye, that's how I see it. They took Callum's life and now I'm going to take one of theirs, preferably both if I can get my hands on 'em.

Where the hell is my mum with that breakfast? I look around angrily and realised she's already left. She can't handle me. No-one can. I storm out of the house, fuming that I have an empty stomach. A 17 year old boy should not be walking to a Reaping with an empty stomach. Almost as if they'd been waiting for me Ky and John appear either side of me and move into their usual positions; kind of like bodyguards only I really don't need any.

"Oi Tristan" John calls from my left. "I heard that new chick Grace Rogers slapped you around a little yesterday, what's up with that?"

I laugh "Well she's new at school and she asked me where the cafeteria was."

"And?" Ky prompts from the other side.

"Well I told her that today's special was sausages, and that there was one ripe and ready for her in my pants" I reply with a snicker.

I love making things awkward around people, especially girls. I don't like it when people like me. There should be only one of two things people feel when they hear my name; hatred or fear. Period. None of this 'redeeming qualities' bull. I'm bad, I know it, and I'm proud of it.

We made a couple of stops along the way to steal some lunch money, give a few wedgies, all the usual stuff. So by the time we got to the Reapings everyone was already there. I can see Guy over with his friends in the 15 year old section. Seriously that kid needs to grow some balls.

Just as we take our places with the 17 year olds the escort for district 5 reaches into the big glass bowl and pulls out a piece of paper. Her face lights up with glee as she shouts "Tristan Willows!"

I guess my time has come after all. I look around as I make my way up to the podium glaring at anyone who dares to meet my eyes. I look over to where Guy is standing and he's smiling! That little shit is happy that I've been reaped? I'm just a little surprised. I didn't realise he hated me so much. But that thought fades away when I feel myself standing up on the podium. Watch out District 2, because I'm coming and I'm not leaving until I see you dead.

**Kahlen Kingsley POV**

There really isn't any way of sugar-coating it. I hate life. All of it. The sun shining through the trees, the birds singing. Every single thing I see that reminds me of happiness makes me feel that much worse. I always associated happiness with my brother, and since he died all I feel is misery.

He didn't deserve it. He was young and had everything going for him. Wren was the kind of guy all the boys wanted to be, and all the girls wanted to be with. He was kind, caring, funny and incredibly sensitive. He was such a great guy. As his younger sister I adored him, even felt a little jealous of him sometimes; but in a good way. It meant that I strove that much harder to be like, him, my role model. And for a time I was just like him, we all were. Happy, enchanting and charismatic. My friends loved hanging around with me and I couldn't get enough of hanging out with them. My brother Devon tried to model himself after Wren too. We used to laugh when – as a 10 year old – he used to come down the stairs in Wren's clothes and declare that he was going to 'catch a movie with some mates' or 'see us on the flip side'. Not that Wren ever spoke like that, but it was still cute.

That all changed after his death. It was like a bright light in the world died the day he was Reaped. We all knew it was going to happen eventually. As we watched him run through the jungles and mountains of the arena we could see that he was barely holding on. He had no formal training of any sort, and he was only holding on by the skin of his teeth.

When we saw him bloody and dying on the television my mother couldn't take it. She leaped off the couch and hugged the TV, pressing her face against the glass and trying to be as close to her son as possible; as if that would make it like she was holding her boy one last time.

Devon broke down on the inside. He became a shell of a person. For weeks he wouldn't eat, sleep, drink or talk. All he did was sit on the couch and watch the TV. No-one could know what was going on in that brain of his. He could have been replaying the moment over and over in his head, or maybe he was waiting for a sign; some sort of news cast that said it was a mistake and that Wren had never been killed. None ever came. And so my little brother disappeared into himself.

Devon was effected the most, but it hit everyone in our family. Our house became a sad and miserable place, a reminder that we were down a treasured member of our family. Mum withdrew and began leaving for work earlier, coming home later, in an attempt to avoid spending time here in the house. Dad is much the same. We don't get to see him much because he's always working. But I don't think that's all there is to it. I've seen him on the streets some days when he's meant to be 'working' but he's all dazed and confused. I tried bringing it up with mum once and she nodded to herself as if confirming something in her mind, then she told me not to worry about it and that she'd handle it.

Normally in situations like this I would run to my boyfriend Drake. He was good friends with Wren and was like him in many ways. He was the best person to talk to. Some nights I would just curl up in his arms and cry while he stroked my hair and told me everything was going to be ok. But like an idiot I had to go and ruin that, the best thing that had ever happened to me. It wasn't fair on him, I realized. He shouldn't have had to look after me and deal with my constant breakdowns. I never wanted to hurt him. So I broke it off, making up some excuse that we were growing apart and that we should just end it. I ran off before he could say anything in reply. I still see him around, and it's kind of awkward, but I think he's ok. Every time I see him I want to run back into his arms and have him tell me it will all be ok like he used to but I just can't. I have to stand by my decision.

About a year ago and after the breakup I was feeling so stressed out that I couldn't think. My brain was a mess, and I couldn't handle the world, I still can't. For some reason I kept coming back to the thought that if I died I'd be able to see Wren in heaven. If I died... It was then that I first contemplating committing suicide. I had it all planned out. I was going to jump off the rails of the large hydroelectric dam that produces most of District 5's power.

On the morning that I had planned to jump, fate intervened. My little brother Devon, now 13, came into my room and sat on my bed. For the first time in 2 years he spoke to me. He just talked and talked about all the fears and the emotions he had been feeling and didn't stop until his throat was raw and he couldn't talk anymore. I realized then that I couldn't jump. Devon, who was only now recovering and trying to reach out to someone, needed me to be there for him. And so I chose my living brother over my dead one. It's a pretty morbid way of looking at it but I know it was the right choice.

I decided that the best thing for him was to return the house to the way it was when Wren was alive; a happy, cheery place. I began to act like my old self on the outside, despite the fact that I felt like crying most of the time. I started hanging out with my friends again, laughing and joking for appearances sake. None of them knew what I felt on the inside, and I couldn't even talk to Drake about it. Slowly slowly our family is being mended back together. Mum is home a lot more now that Devon is interactive again. He will only talk to me though, so I have to relay what he says to everyone else. My mum is also smiling a lot more than she used to. I think we're finally on the track to becoming a real family again.

And now I stand in the audience on reaping day, praying that my brother doesn't get chosen as the male tribute. It would be the last straw for every member of our family.

"Tristan Willows!" comes the call from the escort. I visibly relax and look around for Tristan. I know who he is, everyone does. He's the 'District bully' so to speak. People only see that side of him, but I know the real story. We're both 17 so I remember him when he was younger, and kinder. I never really thought about it, but he started becoming mean and callous right after his cousin Callum was reaped, a few years before Wren was. He's just like me. He was changed by the loss of his family, and this is what he became. I feel sorry for him, because out of everyone in this district I can understand what he's been through, and I don't hate him for it.

And then something happened that chilled me to my bones.

"Your female tribute is Kahlen Kingsley!"

No, oh god no this cannot be happening. I'm too busy thinking about my brother and my family that I don't move like I'm supposed to. It's not until a girl behind me gently pushes me forward that the world comes back into focus and I'm walking up to the podium. There is no other option. I have to win. My family just cannot handle another death. I can see Devon crying in the audience and my heart breaks. I hope he doesn't lose a second sibling. I hope I can make it through this.

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><p><em><strong>Phew that was one of the big ones, but the next one is even longer if i remember correctly. District 6 will be posted when i get home from work.<strong>_

_**As always thank you for reading!**_


	7. The Reapings: District 6

**_Sorry for the really late update guys but i've been busy at work all freaking day. Luckily for you i am nice so i'm going to give you a double serving, The Reapings fo District 6 and 7 one after the other! :)_**

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><p><strong><span>Arden Olt POV<span>**

Every morning I walk down these stairs and every morning I hit my head on the top of the doorway. "Kay!" I call out to my older sister. "I keep telling you to fix this doorway; I'm going to have a permanent bruise sometime soon."

She walks out of the kitchen and huffs, putting her hands on her hips. "What would you like me to do about it? I'm not a carpenter you know." Kay has taken over the parenting role in our family. Our parents are both transport engineers, and I'm not talking about little pushbikes. I'm talking about cutting edge technology that's going to take Panem by storm. We're not really allowed to say anything but our parents are the one's responsible for inventing hover technology. So far all they've managed to do is get a small scooter to lift itself about a metre off the ground. There's still an issue with sorting out the propulsion system, but my parents are geniuses and I'm sure they'll figure it out. As a consequence though it means they spend almost all their time at the labs, which means we barely see them. Hence why my older sister in the one wearing the apron and flipping the pancakes.

Despite the nature of my parent's experimentation, we still aren't all that rich. They feel like if they applied for support from the Capitol then that will become another thing that is kept away from the district and kept exclusively to the Capitol. So rather than approach them for funding my parents have to make do with what they have. I've been trying to help out, taking the tesserae every year since I was 12 so that the financial burden is eased a little. Thankfully my younger brother Patrick isn't quite as thoughtful and he hasn't taken the tesserae even though he is 14 this year, but I'm glad because I'd never want to see him go into the hunger games. While I'm tall and muscled, he's quite short and skinny and he wouldn't last a second, especially against the tributes from District 1 or 2.

Because I started entering my name so much into the Reaping lottery I decided that I couldn't just sit around and wait to be Reaped. So I started to train myself; really basically. My best friend Dean Molton helped me out because his grandfather was a Victor and he taught him some knife work and a little martial arts. Surprisingly I picked it up pretty quickly, now I actually beat Dean more than half the times that we spar. He and I are like brothers. We grew up together as next door neighbours and have been hanging out ever since. I have a few other friends at school but they're the kind of guys that I don't see too much of out of school. I much prefer to be over at Dean's house playing video games, or at mine crashing and watching horrible horror movies.

After I finish my breakfast I hang around with Patrick for a little bit, he seems a little nervous. "You okay buddy?" I ask him while we watch some old TV program dating back to when my parents were young.

"Yeah I'm ok I guess" he replies. "I'm just a little nervous."

"You'll be fine man, trust me. I've been to way more of things than you, and believe me it gets easier every time."

"But what if I get Reaped?" he whispers.

I can tell that he's actually pretty scared. I turn him around so that I can look him in the eyes. "Then you do the best that you can do with what you got. Okay? Plus look at you, no-one's gonna come after you in the games anyway."

He looks confused. "Why is that?"

"Well you're a skinny little guy, you'll probably just be standing there minding your own business when some big hulking tribute comes crashing through the trees, and then he'll run straight past you, you're so skinny you'll just look like a spindly little tree!"

He rolls his eyes. Nobody thinks my jokes are funny, well except me. But even if it was a bad joke I can tell that he's feeling a little bit more relaxed. "let's go head out then yeah? We'll grab dean on the way and the three of us will head over together."

Patrick nods his head and we call out to Kay that we're heading off to the Reapings. She's 22 so she doesn't qualify for the Hunger games anymore. "Bring Patrick back to me Arden!" she calls out from the kitchen.

"If anything you should be asking him to make sure I come back!" I say in response, and we all have a good laugh at that as we walk out the door.

I barely even slow down as I knock on Dean's door and keep walking. It's a little game that we play with each other, to see who can get the furthest away from the other's house before they catch up. My record is to a little shrub just on the edge of Dean's property. Patrick and I are about 15 metres away from it when I hear his front door open and the thudding of his shoes on the pavement. I'm shattered as he catches up just before we can reach the shrub. "Damn it" I curse. "I was so sure I had you that time."

"Nope" he replies with a childish grin. "I was all ready anyway, waiting next to the door for the knock and as soon as it came, BOOM out like a rocket I was."

I shake my head as Patrick laughs as if Dean's just told the funniest joke in the world. How come Dean has to the be the funny one? I fake moping all the way until we get to the Reaping and we split up, Patrick going over to his age group and Dean and I staying with the 17 year olds. The District 6 Reapings are a little bit of a dismal affair. I'm pretty sure our escort is fed up with us because we haven't had a Victor since Dean's grandfather. The ceremony now is pretty much just her walking up, announcing the tributes and then walking off again. It must look terrible on the cameras.

As expected our escort walks on with a smile plastered on her face, though I can't rule out permanent smile surgery as a potential reason for it. I've seen worse things in photos of the Capitol. With little ceremony at all she reaches into the bowl and pulls out a name as if it means nothing. It's quite pitiful to see how little she values human life.

The, again, as if the words mean nothing she shouts out "Arden Olt!"

Those words that mean nothing to her mean everything to me. I can almost feel the cameras on me as I walk up to the podium. I close my emotions off completely, can't be appearing weak on national television. If I'm going into the Hunger Games then I'm going in to win.

**Calla Pyre POV**

"Good morning Bright Eyes", Verandoe says as he gently shakes me awake.

"Good morning Doey" I reply in an almost ritual-like fashion. Those are our nicknames for each other. I'm 'Bright Eyes' because my eyes are a dazzling hazel, while he is Doey because Verandoe is quite a mouthful. He smiles and leads me downstairs to where breakfast is all ready and waiting for me. I smile slightly and take care to sit down in the very middle of my seat. I'm Bipolar and slightly autistic, it isn't the best combination as it makes me quick to anger and highly anti-social; but Verandoe is always careful with me, not coddling per se but he knows my triggers and how to avoid them. For the first few months of our 'situation' I was quite difficult to control, but I was only 6 then and have since learned how to control my emotions and outbursts. For those times where my self control just isn't enough, well there's always the punching bag that Doey set up in my room for me to let my rage out on; which I do, frequently.

Verandoe is my foster father, and was a good friend of my biological father Corin. I was 6 when Corin handed me over to Verandoe. I used to blame him before I understood the whole story, now I just feel sorry for him.

My Mother was a brilliant industrialist, finding new ways to incorporate solar energy into society. Unfortunately during one particular testing of a solar powered vehicle, too much energy was stored in the panels and the panels shattered, sending shards flying in all directions. While normally all scientists should have been behind protective screening, my mother had been making some last minute configurations to the channelling equipment. Fortunately she didn't suffer at all. A particularly large shard embedded itself in her cerebral cortex and another severed her spine at the base of her neck simultaneously. She didn't feel a thing. Corin couldn't handle taking care of me. For a while I resented him because I thought he was ashamed of his mentally ill daughter, but in reality he just couldn't handle living with someone who reminded him so much of my mother.

I fiddle subconsciously with the charm on my ankle, the only thing I have from my mother. It's a solar powered bauble that flickers on and off. It isn't made of expensive materials, but it was my mother's so I treasure it.

"I received a letter from the school board today. Apparently you've received an invitation to live and perform in the Capitol once you are past Reaping age. Isn't that exciting?" Verandoe says happily.

I'm shocked at the news and ecstatic as well. I used to be bullied at school when I was younger due to my disabilities. One day I ran and hid in the music room. I had never really seen a musical instrument before and I was insanely curious. I first went to the giant grand piano. When I struck my first key I knew I was home. Doey Hired tutors to teach me. I mastered the piano in less than a year, and then came the guitar, violin, cello, and flute. I became a virtual sensation in a matter of months. From the child that nobody wanted to hang around, I was transformed into the child that everybody envied. Verandoe said that it was because I am autistic that my brain works differently to normal people. I didn't care for the specifics I just wanted to play music.

Verandoe stands up to clear the table, but then screams and bends over in agony. His back must be having a spasm again. I lean him up against the wall in he smiles in appreciation. Even though Doey is 53 he is quite fit, except for an injury he received a few years ago. Verandoe works as a mechanic on the trains that run from each of the districts to the Capitol. In this case, he had performed a routine inspection of the train before the maintenance and found a pearl necklace tucked beneath the seats. Thinking he would hand it in later he tucked it into his pocket and began fixing the machine.

Unbeknownst to him, the lady who had lost the necklace had reported it stolen earlier that day. Peacekeepers turned up and demanded to know where the necklace was. Doey gave it to them immediately, but was confused when they started taking him into custody. Not realising that there had been a mix-up and the peacekeepers had thought he stole the necklace, Verandoe resisted their arrest. I was walking back from school on a route that takes me past the train yard because I like to see Doey while he is working. When I saw the commotion I tried to run over and help, but by then one of the peacekeepers had already pulled out a bullwhip and was lashing him. I scream and told them to stop, attempting to rip the Peacekeeper who was hurting Doey away. He shoved me aside and gave me a single lash to keep me way. Unfortunately that single lash caught me on my temple and left a long thin gash all the way down to the base of my neck. The scar still remains to this day, but doesn't affect me like Doey's often does. The Peacekeeper lashed him so hard that he injured the muscles in his back and Doey had to be hospitalised for weeks while he healed. Every now and again Doey will have a spasm and will need to sit down and relax while his back calms down.

He looks at me with an apologetic look and I know what he is trying to say. He usually walks me to the Reapings as I don't like travelling by myself or being in the crowd of people, but today it can't be helped. I nod and make sure he is in a comfortable position before I grab my things and leave the house. It is quite a long walk to the Reaping which is why I have to leave so early in the morning. On my own the road and the distance seem to be longer. I feel like an age has passed before I finally reach the teeming masses at the District 6 Reapings. I feel incredibly uncomfortable as I squeeze through the crowd to reach the 14 year old area.

Once situated I find myself next to a boy around my height, which is actually quite short. Then I recognise him; it's Patrick Olt. He was one of the boys who used to bully me back before I was so successful. I hide my face from him, paranoid that if he sees me he will tease me again like he used to. In this crowd and the discomfort I'm feeling right now, I'm unsure that if he triggered my aggression I'd be able to stop it and stop myself. Thankfully he seems very nervous and doesn't pay attention to me.

When the Male tribute is called the visibly pales and starts shaking. His older Brother has just been Reaped. Underneath my dislike for him I do have to feel sorry for his situation. But then I'm too distracted to worry about Patrick when I hear the Female tribute's name called.

"Calla Pyre!"

The only sign of the surprise and shock that fills my body is a slight arching of my eyebrow. I make my way delicately towards the stage, waving and smiling as I go. It's very difficult to maintain my self control but I do so with poise and grace. I shake my escorts hand and stand up on the podium as if I were meant to be there.

I seriously hope there's a punching bag in the justice building.

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><p><em><strong> District 7 will be up in a moment :)<strong>_


	8. The Reapings: District 7

**_And here they are as promised! enjoy and review :)_**

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><p><strong><span>William Kilmurray POV<span>**

"TIMBUUUUUUR!" calls the foreman as the massive pine native to District 7 comes crashing down. I can see everyone in the path of the falling tree scatter, but I'm a far distance away safely observing. My job is yet to come.

I really love working in District 7. Everyone has a certain responsibility and everyone works together to achieve the common goal. Firstly there's the climbing crew, they scale the trees and tie ropes at strategic places around the trunk. My twin sister Megan is a Climber, one of the best actually. She's usually the one who attaches the highest rope on the tree. Next it's up to the 'Chippers' as we call them – because they chew through wood like chipmunks – to take their massive axes and start hacking at the base of the trunk. One they're about halfway through, everyone moves back for the Tuggers. These guys hold onto the ropes fastened by the climbers and pull, trying to get the tree to topple in a particular direction. Mostly this is so we can control where the tree falls rather than it accidentally falling and crushing someone, which actually used to happen more often than you might think. Then the Choppers come in. They're kinda like the Chippers, only they have smaller axes designed to chop the tree up into smaller pieces for us, the Walkers, to carry it back to the lumber mill. Being a walker is much harder work than people give us credit for. My brother always makes fun of me, saying it's because I'm not strong enough to be a Chopper like him. Give me a break though, I'm only 14 and most people my age are climbers. I'm Walking with 16-18 year olds. Matt is 21 so obviously he's matured and muscled enough to be a Chopper, but only the veteran lumberjacks are Chippers.

I collect a long, thick branch from my brother and carry it over both my shoulders. I figured out when I first started that this was the easiest way to carry the wood, especially considering the mill is so far away. Suddenly Megan appears by my side with a smaller piece of wood. "What are you doing?" I ask her curiously. This is the first time I've seen Megan Walking with us. Most Walkers are guys; we leave the Climbing to the girls.

"Well because today is Reaping day we're all getting let off early, but because the tree just came down it's all hands on deck to get the wood back to the mill before we have to head over."

That makes sense actually. Megan and I fill the time going back to the mill just talking about random stuff. As twins we're pretty deeply connected. Sometimes when she scrapes her knee I can 'feel' it. Like, not any pain, but it's like I know that she's hurt herself. She's told me that she experiences a similar thing when I get hurt. Mum even took a day off work to get us checked out at the doctor's to see if there was something was wrong with us. Tests were inconclusive but the doctor assured my mum that we were perfectly fine and that this phenomenon happens sometimes especially if the siblings are close. Mum was just paranoid. She's pretty protective of us kids even though she's rarely at home because she and dad work all the time.

The reason Megan and I are 7 years younger than Matt is because my parents have had a horrible history with having kids. I don't know the specifics, but apparently it's very difficult for my mum to conceive naturally. She thought that Matt was going to be her only child, so when we came along she spoiled and cherished us as much as she could. We didn't understand then, but because she would always give us what we wanted, our family became poorer and poorer. Matt was too old for tesserae but Megan and I weren't. On my twelfth birthday I signed up for tesserae. My parents pushed us all to work even harder that year so that it wouldn't happen the next year, thankfully we had enough to keep us all afloat so I didn't have to take the tesserae again, but we all realised that the only way to maintain the lifestyle for all of us to work. So that's what we did, and continued to do for the next 2 years.

After stopping by the mill the two of us come home to an empty house. Mum and dad can't afford to take the day off to come and support us at the Reapings, but it's ok. It's been that way since we were 12. We pack up our things and get ready in silence, our sombre mood infecting the other. Our walk to the Reapings is a little bit cheerier as we admire the birds singing in the trees and the beauty that is our District.

Unfortunately Megan and I have to split up when we reach the designated reaping area but it's ok. I know that a part of her is always inside of me so that I'm never truly alone. While everyone waits for the escort to get ready I start to get a little nervous and I know that Megan can feel it too. For some reason the atmosphere of this year's Reapings are a little bit more muted than usual. Of course the Reapings are always a sad time, but no-one seems to be enjoying the ceremony this year.

The escort finally makes her appearance on stage, performing a pirouette and bowing to us. Her little stunt is met with an awkward applause, but she doesn't seem fazed. She gracefully glides across the stage and pulls a piece of paper out of the bowl that contains the names of all eligible males from this district.

With an annoying sing-song voice the escort announces "District 7's male tribute for the 225th Hunger Games is William Kilmurray!"

A wave of emotion pours over me, and I can't help but let the tears fall. I'm only 14, there's no way I'm going to survive the Games. I'm too young to die...

**Ashley Pine POV**

The woods are my favourite place in the world. It's so peaceful and quiet. Not like at home. My dad can get really touchy sometimes, but I get it. It's hard to raise a 16 year old daughter when you're a single parent. In a really depressing sort of way, I was glad when my mum died. I loved her to pieces, but she and dad were always so pushy; forcing me to work at a young age. We were poor so we needed all the money we could get. When I turned 12 I was so scared that I was going to get Reaped for the Hunger games. That made it so much worse when my parents sat me down and told me that I had to take the tesserae for all of us otherwise we were going to starve. What kind of pressure is that to put on a little girl! I ran away from them, escaping from their grasping hands and sprinted out the door. I ran and ran until my little legs just couldn't work anymore. I collapsed, and that's when I noticed the soft grass beneath my body and the warm sun on my back. I fell asleep to the sound of birdsong, and woke up a few hours later feeling refreshed and reinvigorated. That was the day I met my best and only friend. The Forest. With all its towering trees and soft, muted sounds the forest became my sanctuary. I come here often when I need to relax or think. I have no-one else to go to. People my age think I'm stuck up, but only because I don't like people I don't know. I can't help it if I'm rude, I just don't trust people.

After I ran away that time I returned home to find that my parents had just gone straight to work. They hadn't tried looking for me, just figuring that I would return home sooner or later. I still had to take the tesserae for all three of us, and the next year too. It was during that year that my mother died. She had been Tugging and when the tree fell the shockwaves disturbed a snake's nest that was nearby. It bit her before she even had a chance to run away, and the team had been working in an area particularly far away from any sort of aid. They tried bandaging her leg, stopping the flow of blood and trying to prevent the poison from reaching her heart. She was carried on the shoulders of three men as they ran through the rugged terrain of the forest for 30 minutes straight while her fever rose and her condition worsened. By the time help had reached her they were too late. There was no time to save her. My father had grabbed me and came running when he heard my mum was injured. We both arrived just in time to watch her writhe on the ground in agony, foam coming out of her mouth, and then her body completely relaxed as her heart stopped. I remember the vivid markings on her thigh where the snake bit her, and to this very day I have an immense fear of snakes.

That year my dad didn't make me take the tesserae, instead he worked twice as hard, day-in and day-out to make as much money as he could to support us. I think it was because he realised that me taking the tesserae increased my chances of being reaped, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if I died too. So now we just work harder. It's not an easy life, but I have the forest for comfort if I ever get too stressed. I barely see dad anymore because he's working so much as a Chipper. Even though most girls aren't allowed, my dad has been grooming me to be a Chipper like him. It's the highest paying job because it has the highest amount of risk. A tree could come crashing down right on top of you if you're not careful. But my dad is one of the best and he's too experienced to make the kind of mistake that would cause that to happen.

But for now I put thoughts of woodcutting out of my mind. I'm with the forest. I always come here before a reaping. Just in case I get reaped it's the last thing I want to remember. The earthy, damp smell, the feel of the wind through my hair; I want to remember all of it. Especially the songs the birds sing. If you listen carefully they are actually singing in tune, I don't know if it's something all birds do or just the one's here in district 7, but the sound they make if beautiful. I sing along occasionally, I don't have the greatest voice but it makes me feel better when I hum with the tune or sing a harmony to their tweeting. I feel like for once I'm a part of something and not just alone.

My serenity is shattered when I hear the loud call of "TIMBUUUUUUR" from nearby, followed by a thud that scares away all the birds in the area. I sigh, my moment was ruined. _Maybe it's an omen _I think to myself as I gather my pack together and head to the Reapings.

I'm so early that I'm the first on here, but I honestly don't mind. In fact, if I came any later I might have missed our District's escort practicing a pirouette on stage; only she looks more like a spinning top than a ballerina. I laugh and I think she hears me; she storms off the stage in a huff while the Peacekeepers try desperately to call her back. In the end they end up calling in a body double that actually does do ballet. The funny thing is about the Capitol women is that they wear so much makeup that you can make anyone look just like them provided you have enough foundation and eyeliner.

The switch is made and our 'new' escort looks the spitting image of our old one. I don't think anyone who arrives now will notice that this person is not the same escort from last year's ceremony. Very soon it comes time for the Reapings and the crowds start to appear. No-one is smiling, but everyone still has to come.

Before long the escort runs out on stage and performs her pirouette perfectly; and I'm the only one who knows why. I chuckle to myself when she bows. She's not getting any standing ovations from this audience. The male tribute's name is called. And it's a young kid. He looks terrified. Well he better toughen up or he'll just be another nameless face lying dead on the floor of the arena.

The escort walks on point to the bowl full of female names. This chick is clearly playing up the ballerina angle today. I'm laughing at her so hard that when she calls out the name I can't hear her. I wipe a tear from my eye and look around. No-one in the audience is moving. I frown.

"Ummm..." comes the melodic voice of our escort. "Is there an Ashley Pine here?"

"WHAT!" I scream. She called MY name? I can't believe it. I've always feared being Reaped but I never once thought it would actually happen to me. I quickly pull myself together because now I know everyone is looking at me after my little outburst. I can't let myself show any further sign of weakness, so I walk straight up to my place on the podium with my head held high despite the fear I feel growing inside of me.

Do I really have what it takes to win the hunger games?

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><p><em><strong>Hope i've been doing ok so far with these tributes :P chapter 8 is halfway done but i'll finish that off tomorrow morning and hopefully post it then.<strong>_


	9. The Reapings: District 8

**_Sorry that it's been so long snce my last update guys :(. On the plus side i'll hope to get D9 Reapings done in the next hour/hour and a half and then i can post 9 and 10 :). ENJOY!_**

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><p><strong><span>Alexander Bright POV<span>**

I have the same dream every night. Well, not a dream, a memory really. We were on a school excursion to the textile factory where my father worked. And I was so excited because it was also my 14th birthday. My dad Jackie –but everyone called him Jack- knew about the excursion, and said that rather than giving me my present at home, he'd wait until I saw him at work and give it to me then so that all my friends would be jealous. I was upset but agreed because I knew my dad had something special planned for me. I had been so excited all day at school and all the other kids kept asking me why, but I said it was a surprise and that I didn't even know what it was. When we arrived at the factory we were led along catwalk that runs along above the heads of the workers. I could see my dad and I called to him, waving. He waved up at me and stepped away from his machine for a moment so that he could let his supervisor know he was taking his break then. That's when he missed a tangle of cotton that had somehow made its way into his machine's weavings. Normally something like that is no big deal, its noticeable immediately and takes a few seconds to fix. By my dad wasn't watching his machine and so the tangle grew larger and larger and started to catch on the gears, causing them to tighten and whine. My dad, surprised by the odd sound went over to his machine to investigate. That's when the pressure release valve on the machine gave out and let out a small concentrated burst of gas. I was told later that the grinding of the gears caused a spark, which ignited the gas. Because the gas had no-where to go the pressure built and built until the machine exploded into a million and one pieces. And so it was that my 14th birthday present from my dad was to watch him die right before my eyes. At that point of the dream I always wake up in a cold sweat, shivering no matter how hot it is in my room.

It was a freak accident they said. No-one could have foreseen it happening. Unfortunately I didn't see it that way. In my mind, because I had distracted him, my dad had missed something and that killed him. I killed my father. No-one blamed me except for me. My older brothers Malcolm, Thomas and Gary sat me down and let me know the full story. Malcolm is the oldest and at the time was 27, and a designer of the textiles machines. He's the one who explained to me the chain of events that led to the accident, and I finally understood that it wasn't all my fault, that it really was just an accident. After 3 years you'd think the memory would have just faded away, but it's still fresh in my mind every time I close my eyes.

My mother Carleigh is pretty old now, and at 62 she wasn't ready to lose her husband. Now that she's 65 and alone she finds it very hard to work. Luckily I help my brothers with their odd jobs and make a little extra money to keep our family afloat. Little Olivia asks if she can work too, but we all tell her no, and that it's her job to go to school so she can become a genius and get us all invited to the Capitol so that our family can live without fear of the hunger games. Worrying about them wears us all out. My three brothers all made it through, I'm almost out, but Olivia has just turned 12, and so she qualifies this year. It really just never ends. For the past18 years there has always been at least 1 member of our family sat risk of being reaped. Even though the people who live in the Capitol are loud and idiotic. We'd live their if it meant we didn't have to worry anymore.

But today its Reaping day and there's every reason to feel worried. My mother long ago learned she couldn't handle the stress of the Reapings and so our brothers are the ones who escort Oliva and me to the square where the Reapings are held. Well, it's not really a square. It's a dead end formed by three factories two that run parallel and one that cuts across the two. The Reapings are held here every year, and it doesn't help my tumultuous emotions that the factory to our left is the one my father used to work in.

The five of us stand there and I feel awkward because even though I'm the second youngest, I'm the tallest of the 5 siblings. Even when I lay my long black hair flat on top of my head Gary is still a centimetre shorter than me. People say it makes me look intimidating but when they take a look at my smile and my sea green eyes, it usually makes people lighten up. Despite my size I'm still pretty good at making friends.

Our Escort walks up on stage and everyone chuckles. It's obvious that she's wearing clothes from the Capitol, but the fabric clearly came from our district rather than being made from the luxury silks most Capitol residents purchase from District 1. "Welcome everyone; it's good to see you all could make it."

I wanted to shout out that it's mandatory that we all come but as I open my mouth I notice a Peacekeeper looking at me and I swallow down my sarcastic comment. After some further commentary to do with the games and our district the escort finally reaches into the bowl to draw the name of our male tribute. She seems nervous as she opens the paper, her hands are shaking.

"Alexander Bright" she squeaks into the microphone.

I feel every member of my family tense around me. Olivia starts to cry and Thomas puts his hand on my shoulder. I know he wishes he was young enough to volunteer for me, but I wouldn't' want him to. "I promise I'll come back" I whisper as I leave their embrace. I mean that when I say it. I will win these games and I'll come back for my family. Even though Dying in the games would mean seeing my father again, I know that it will break all their hearts, especially my mothers.

Sorry dad. I guess we'll have to catch up another time. I have a Hunger Games to win.

**Cailey Birch POV**

"Code green on unit 242! Green on 242!" comes to call over the speaker. Oh no that's mum's machine! I sprint form the holding areas through the large warehouse-style factory. Twisting my body this way and that way to avoid hitting anything. It helps that I'm actually quite short for a 14 year old; it's what got me this job in the first place. A code green is when a large piece of fabric is caught in a machine. Normally a small tangle isn't a big deal, but a few years ago a small tangle grew into a larger knot which stuffed up one of the machines and caused a massive explosion that actually killed someone. Thankfully I never saw it but mum told me about it. So that's why the factory invented my job. There are a few of us kids that run around when a tangle gets caught and it's our jobs to crawls under the machine and fix it. It's a pretty tight squeeze and requires a lot of flexibility, which is why many of the other kids are between 10 and 12 years old. Because I'm small I was allowed to work, which is good because it means I can help my parents pay for stuff like food and clothes.

I reach my mum's work station and she doesn't look too fazed. "Hi sweetie, would you mind terribly just climbing in there and sorting the machine out for me." I smile and nod before slinking all the way down to the floor to get beneath the mechanism. It takes a little time to slither underneath but when I do I can see the mess before my eyes. I'm lucky; it's only a minor tangle. The thread is still being fed through the machine, but slower because it is getting caught on one of the gears. I wait for the gear to turn around so that I have easy access to the thread and delicately extract it from the mechanism. I can hear the satisfied purr of the machine as it returns to its regular functioning.

"Well done sweetie" my mum calls from above me. "I think you can probably head back home now so you can get ready for the Reapings. I'll be there to pick you up after but your father is working all the way through it, there's a big shipment and they need all the hands they can get"

My dad loads the trains with material that gets shipped all over Panem. It's a slightly higher payed job than working in the factories so dad tries to work as much as he can so we can all survive without me having to take the tesserae. When I turned 12 my parents made it very clear that they would do everything in their power to ensure I never had to take the tesserae, even if it meant we all had to eat less each night. My friends think that's why I'm so small and skinny, because I don't get enough nutrients in my meals. I don't mind all that much, I don't see the problem. If anything I'd like to take the tesserae so that my family doesn't starve, even if it meant increasing my chances of being Reaped. It's just a part of life. Half my friends have taken the tesserae at least once, but when I brought it up with my parents they screamed at me and told me to go to my room. I know they're just trying to protect me, but I don't see why we all have to suffer for it.

I get home with plenty of time before the Reapings, so after doing a little tidying up I decide to walk to my friend Jasiey's house. She lives really close to the Reaping area, and it means that I won't have to walk all the way over on my own. When I arrive I only have to knock once before her door swings open and I'm pulled savagely inside. I'm about to scream at Jasiey but she holds a finger up to her mouth miming me to keep quiet. That's when I see my other best friend Felicity peeking out of the eyehole.

Jasiey replies to my questioning gaze in a whisper. "We've seen Jacob King walking past my door 5 times in the past 20 minutes. He lives a 30 minute walk away, Felicity thinks something's up."

"He's coming again!" Felicity squeals from the front door. I creep forward and take a quick peek through the peephole and sure enough there's 15 year old Jacob King walking up to Jasiey's door. He looks like he's about to knock, then turns bright red and runs away.

"Oh my god Jasiey! I think Jacob has a crush on you!" I say

Jasiey crinkles her nose. "Eww gross, I'd sooner kiss a mole rat than that pimple faced freak."

The three of us leave the house laughing at how embarrassed Jacob must feel right now. We pass him on the way to the Reapings and we burst out into hysterics when he blushes and hides his face away from us. We round a corner and before us is the Reaping podium. We take our places with the other 14 year olds and continue to gossip about absolutely everything. The male tribute is called up and I recognise him from photos. He's the son of the man who died in the explosion at my mum's factory a few years back. He looks determined though.

The three of us tense up as we await the calling of the female tribute. Even though none of us have taken the tesserae we're always nervous when it comes to the Reapings, and this year with good reason it seems as the escort nervously calls out "Cailey Birch, the female tribute from District 8!"

So after all my family had to go through, starving themselves and working overtime; it still didn't achieve anything. In the end I was still Reaped. I know I have no chance of winning these games, and I feel terrible that my parents are going to have to watch me die. I just hope that when I die it's clean and pain free, but knowing the hunger games, it probably won't be.


	10. The Reapings: District 9

**_Sorry it's been so long since my last update guys, I've been working my ass off recently and havn't really had time fro writing. I promise i'll get up at least a chapter a day for the next few days while i'm a little bit busier._**

**_Anyways to pay you all back for being so patient prepare for a double dose of Reapings as i present to you District 9 with 10 close to follow!_**

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><p><strong><span>Rodney Loranson POV<span>**

"Look guys, all I'm saying is that I think that the Hunger Games are the Capitol's way of keeping us compliant rather than it actually being a punishment" I try to call over the arguing of my friends.

Dereck looks up and nods his head. "The whole games are just a stupid, pointless waste of time. I don't like it. And for one thing it just doesn't make sense. Why would you off kill off these kids when they could grow up, learn a skill, and contribute to the whole of Panem. It's a waste of life and the whole economy takes a blow."

Alice takes the brief pause created by Derek's point to make her own. "Forget about that, how can we talk about how society is effected when children OUR AGE are being slaughtered? It's cruelty, plain and simple." She swishes her brown her over her shoulder as if it adds weight to her argument.

Then I see Belle sit up straighter in her chair. "I agree with Alice, but you guys are all 16 and I'm 15. There's really nothing we can do about it despite how much we all hate the Games. Don't you think we learnt our lesson? Two rebellions later and yet we're still in the same position we were 225 years ago."

"Guys, I love that we're all so open about this, but we've been discussing this all night and none of us has gotten any sleep. Plus we have the Reapings soon. I'm all for the Capitol-bashing sessions but can we maybe leave the heavy topics for another time? My brain is starting to fizzle out." Aiden is always the voice of reason, and it's his house so we kinda all have to follow his rules.

We don't usually have these all-nighter sessions. They're usually reserved for after school, weekends and afternoons. We got together last night because I had a particularly hard time at home. It started at dinner time. I had been sitting in the lounge room doing my homework when I heard a crash followed by my mum's scream coming from the kitchen. Of course I came running. My mum Heather had dropped a bowl of hot soup and it broke, the contents spilling out all over the floor. I asked if she needed help but the woman had the gall to say that it wasn't her responsibility to clean it up because she cooked the meal, and that I had to clean it up all on my own. Saying that, she practically threw a dishtowel at my face and left the room in a huff. Despite the fact that I had a major assignment due in at the end of the week I still bent down and started scrubbing. Of course my dad picks that exact time to come in and see what's happened. Rather than asking why I was cleaning up and not doing my homework, he scolds me instead about how I'm not using a damp cloth or mopping it up the right way. I'd had enough. I threw the towel in the sink and ran out the door without looking back.

Even though Alice's house is right next door to mine I didn't think it would be appropriate to just appear on her front door. Instead I ran all the way to Aidan's. Well, most of the way. I'm not so fit so I had to walk for some of it while I caught my breath. When I got there his family were ok with me coming inside and stying the night, then we made some calls to get all the gang together for just a late night hang-out session that I just needed. I had to find a way to distract myself from the night's events and talking trash with my best friend's is one of the ways I can. When we all got here it was mutually decided that we'd all be staying the night, mostly because my friends just knew that I needed to talk. I started with talking about my parents. How my mum always whines, never taking responsibility for my actions, and how my dad is so controlling and OCD all the time with everything I do. That conversation quickly moved to unfair situations and scenarios, which inevitably ended up with us talking about the Hunger Games and how we all hate them.

We're not the only ones. Pretty much everyone on district 9 hates the Games; we're just the only ones who ever talk about it. Alice is our little revolutionary, always trying to get us to do something about it. Luckily we have Isabelle in our group, but I call her Belle for short.

She and I were sort of a package deal in this friendship circle. Belle and I were friends before I met any of the others. As next-door neighbours we would see each other and hang out all the time. So when I first met Aidan and started hanging out with him and his friends it only seemed natural to bring Belle with me. Belle is there to ground us. She's the youngest of our group but by far the most careful. She hates the Capitol as much as we all do but she understands that there's very little we can actually do to make a change.

The five of us sit silently for a while before we all almost psychically decide it's time to go to the Reapings. We're all talked out and it's time to get a move on. None of us really need to go back home as everyone except me packed an overnight bag, but my parents have already left for the fields so the house is locked. The five of us walk gingerly down the road to the Reapings. People look up from their work and wave, the five of us together is a pretty common sight.

When we arrive it's pretty upsetting because Belle has to go off on her own, but we all wave her off and try to keep an eye on where she is. Even though she was my friend originally, she's a member of this group just like any of us. The fool of an escort we have in district 9 gets up on stage. I swear that every year she has just a little bit too much champagne at the Reaping pre-party because she never looks steady when she's up on the stage; a trait that we usually make fun of whenever we make jokes about the Capitol.

Our very inebriated escort looks confused for a moment, as if she's wondering what she's wondering what she's doing up on stage. It takes her a few seconds to notice the bowls on either side of the podium. The audience laughs as she makes her way to the bowl for the female tributes then realizes her mistake as custom dictates that the male tributes are always called first. So after traversing the whole length of the podium again she finally reaches the bowl filled with the male names. All the laughter dies down as she pulls the name out of the bowl.

"Rodney Loranson!" she screams.

I'm so surprised that I've been Reaped that I forget to be angry or upset about it the way I always imagined. I guess the only way to really do this is to enjoy it while I can. I wave at the audience and smile. This is all one big joke to me. I don't really think I have a chance at winning so I might as well make the most of it. Bring it on Hunger Games, show me what you've got.

**Sophie O'Donnel POV**

I've never understood this Hunger Games thing. I get that people who are native to Panem have grown up with it, but where I'm from we never had anything like this. We moved to Panem when I was 6, my father and I. Our homeland is where the country of Ireland once existed, but since all the European countries decided to band together and form one Nation, now everything is just called Europa. The problem with having such a large nation is that it's hard to find food or shelter without government help, and the governments just don't have enough to help everyone. My dad thought that moving to Panem would be a good idea. It would mean a better life for the two of us. Mum died giving birth to me, so I've led a very sheltered life. My dad is a little protective of me, but I know that he means well. He used to be a farmer back in Europa so he figured that District 9 would be a perfect fit for us. To be honest it does remind me a lot of home, with the sweeping hills and large fields, only difference is the climate. It's never that cold here, and my delicate skin just can't handle the harsh sunlight of Panem.

Our red hair and accents means we always stand out in the district, especially in large crowds. Luckily I managed to make friends with the only other natural red-head in the district, Marcie. She's 15 just like me. Apparently both her parents are brunettes but she came out fiery. My dad told me a story that he probably shouldn't have, but at least I know now where Marcie gets her temper from. When she was born her dad was furious. He screamed all around the hospital room shouting out that she wasn't his daughter and that her mother had had an affair. The only problem is back then there were no redheads that she could have slept with. Turns out that looking through old family photo albums they found ancestors on both sides that were redheads too, it just popped up every few generations. Marcie is prone to a few of her own temper tantrums, and it's usually up to me to calm her down.

Growing up in a poverty stricken society meant we had to fend for ourselves most of the time. I learned very early on which plants that grew on the side of the road I could eat and which ones would make me feel sick. Sure the foliage in Europa and Panem are quite different, but every now and then I see a plant that I recognise, more often than not it's one that I shouldn't eat though. There's just something about Panem that seems to breed danger. From the plants to these infernal hunger games. It's a barbaric tradition that seems to have been founded so long ago that people can barely remember the reason for their existence. And yet every year these people let the lives of their children be threatened by the very society that should be in place to protect them. I just can't understand it.

A knock on the door signals that Marcie has come over. Her parents work in the fields while my dad works in the mill, so he doesn't need to get to work as early as some. It means that he's able to walk Marcie and me to the Reapings so we don't have to be alone.

I'm really grateful to have the dad that I do. He's always done what he thought has been best for us and he's usually right. He works hard so I've never had to take the tesserae thing. From what I hear and from what Marcie tells me it isn't a great thing, even though she's been forced to take it twice. So you get a year's supply of small foodstuffs in exchange for an increase in your chances to get reaped? Does the Capitol actually WANT the kids to die?

I'm left with confusing thoughts as we arrive at the Reapings, but put them aside while I watch he embarrassing display by our district's escort. I honestly can't imagine anything worse than her performance up on that stage as I watch her unwrap the female tribute's name.

"Sophie O'Donnel!" squawks the escort.

Ok so maybe I can imagine something worse than her performance... and it just happened...

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><p><strong><em>P.S. I got the idea for the scene when Marcie was born from an actual thing that happened in my family.<em>**

**_On my dad' side i'm Greek, so everyone has Dark hair and Dark eyes. When my uncle was born he had Blond hair and Blue eyes. My Papou (Grandfather in Greek) was so angry! He swore that my Yiayia (grandmother) had cheated on him with someone else from their village. He got so angry that he threatened to divorce her! Before you start wondering if she did, no she did not have an affair. Within half a year his hair darkened to brown and so did his eyes, my papou was thoroughly embarrassed :P _**

**_I thought i'd just add that in there because we all like to have a good laugh about it every now and again and i found it funny :)_**


	11. The Reapings: District 10

**_And here's 10! :)_**

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><p><strong><span>Lloc Shazwick POV<span>**

They think that I can't hear them talking in the other room. But i can. It's always the same old argument whenever we visit Becky at the Hospital.

"Will, we can't keep living like this; we barely have enough money to support ourselves and Lloc. We only have enough because our son keeps takes the tesserae! Becky needs to come home".

"You know why we can't do that Driane! Leukaemia is a death sentence without the proper treatment, and at least here at the hospital they can keep her alive long enough... maybe some scientist up in the Capitol might find a cure, we just can't know!"

My family isn't rich, but we make do. We own a llama farm which is actually pretty rare in these parts. District 10 is mostly concerned with other livestock like cows and sheep. Llama wool might be a better quality than sheep wool, but our farm is small and we just can't compete with the market. My dad always says that these things take time, but it could be years or decades before we're actually financially stable.

I squeeze my sister's hand tighter and she offers a weak smile back in return. It just isn't fair. She's my older sister; at 16 she's too young to be dying. A tear escapes from the corner of my eye, but I wipe it away before she can see it. No use upsetting her even more, especially since today is Reaping day. My family was so relieved when our application to have Becky removed from the Reaping lottery was accepted. We couldn't stand to see her slowly wither away in a hospital bed, let alone watch her butchered on TV for everyone to see.

I give my sister one last kiss on the cheek before I stand up and leave her room. My parents are just sitting silently now, they know that neither one of them is going to give in to the other. "I'm heading over to the Reapings now" I whisper.

My mother just bows her head and cries, but my father comes up and hugs me tight.

"It's going to be ok son. We'll find a way. We always do"

I nod and practically run out of the hospital. My brown curls whip back and forth across my face blurring my vision, but i don't care. I just run, trying to escape this stupid unfair life. I don't understand why my father puts so much faith in the Capitol. It's their fault we're in this mess. Segregating and separating the masses into 12 supposedly self-sufficient districts. But we're not self-sufficient. Those greedy bastards just want it all for themselves. All of the hard work that we do day-in and day-out goes straight to the Capitol. Nothing gets given back to us and we suffer for it. But there's no use fighting the system. One person can't do a thing to change a society that's been running for over 200 years.

I realise that I have to stop. I was sprinting so hard that I completely ran out of breath. I take a few moments to breathe before taking in my surroundings. From what I can see, I'm in a small clearing of trees, but they look cultivated and not wild. I'm ok; I must've run straight through the Mayor's property; he's the only person in this whole District bothered enough by appearances to have his trees trimmed.

Luckily it's not far from here to the square where the Reapings are held, or I'd be in big trouble with the Peacekeepers for missing it. I can't run though, I'm just too tired, so i walk the distance and thankfully I'm not the last to arrive. The Peacekeepers still don't like stragglers so i make my way quickly and quietly to where the other 14 year old boys are standing. I see a few of my friends and wave, but i make no effort to go over to them. I'm just not in the right mood to be with people right now. I also notice a few of the girls across the square pointing at me and giggling amongst themselves. I look away, the girls can think what they want about me, but i can't deal with that right now. I have a sister to look after.

Our escort steps up on the stage and flashes one of her award-winning smiles. Or, it would be award-winning- if she wasn't wearing tonnes of make-up. "Welcome everybody from District 10 to this year's Hunger Games!"

Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me, and I clench my jaw in pain at the sound.

"And now, for the moment I'm sure you've all been waiting for, the announcement of this year's Male tribute!" She reaches into the bowl and opens the piece of paper, smiling as if she's just unwrapped her favourite chocolate. "Lloc Shazwick!"

I freeze. This cannot be happening to me. But everyone's watching, I can't afford to look weak, not now. I put on my bravest face and walk up to the stage. Our escort shakes my hand, but I could care less. Can this really be happening to me? A billion thoughts are running through my head, but two are screaming at me the loudest. If i win, i could help my sister. She'd get all the care she'd ever need and I'd finally be able to look after her the way I've always tried to. But on the other hand; only one person can survive the games. I'm a protector, not a murderer. Can I really bring myself to kill another human being?...

**Hydrangea Aster Anemone POV**

The damp soil doesn't feel cold under my hands, but then again nothing really does. I pull the onion out of the ground and smile. I might not be able to feel pain, cold or heat, but when my stomach grumbles I know that it's time to eat. I can't help that I was born this way, and thankfully with my father's help I was able to accept it. My mother on the other hand, well she's a completely different story. I gnaw at the raw vegetable with vigour. My little garden in the woods helps to ease the burden of having to find food, but I've only managed to scavenge a few plants from the surrounding areas and grow them here.

I think my mum blames me for my father's death. Well, he was protecting me and I was the one who survived. I shudder as I remember that day.

It happened two and a half years back, just before my 15th birthday. I had been walking home late one night from the fields. I like to work at night; the moonlight does considerably less damage than the sun to my sensitive Albino skin. Even with the long coat and hat my Dad gave to me it's still not enough protection. The only problem is I can't even feel the heat, so i don't know I'm burning until i see myself in the mirror, and by then it's too late. This particular night a few men from the neighbouring farm were drinking far too much, and decided that it would be funny to test out if the 'creepy white kid' as I am called around town, really couldn't feel pain. They cornered me, and pinned me down so I couldn't move. One of them had a knife, and he straddled me while the other two held me down. "Why don't you give me a smile princess?" he asked me. I didn't want to give in so I kept my mouth clamped firmly shut. This seemed to enrage him. "Fine." He said, "I'll just have to make you smile!" With that he slashed at my face. I screamed. Not in pain, but in fear. I felt my mouth open wider than it should have. His slash had sliced my cheek open along the line of my lips.

I touch my hand to the wicked scar that is still present today. It runs from the right side of my mouth almost all the way up to my ear. I know it could have been worse, had my dad not heard my scream and come running. He bowled over the man with the knife and kicked him in the head. My dad Rian was no fighter, but he was like a warrior that night. The man with the knife went down, and the others let go of me. My dad screamed at me to run, but i couldn't. He was too busy trying to fend off the two in front of him that he never saw the man with the knife raise himself from the ground behind him. I tried to call to him, tried to scream for help but my mouth just wouldn't work. I watched my father die that day, all because some idiots decided it would be funny to torture a young girl.

I hear rustling in the bushes and leap up, immediately striking a defensive pose. My father might be dead, but at least he taught me how to defend myself before he died.

"Whoa, hold up there Smiley it's just me". My cousin Hadyn says as he enters my grotto. He is the only one beside's me that knows about this place. I'm afraid that if my mother found out she'd come here and destroy it. Everyone knows she wishes I'd never been born, and she's tried to kill me more than once already. That's why I'm living out here on my own. "I asked about you at the house and Azalea said she hasn't seen you in a while. She misses you, you know?"

I nod and bow my head. Azalea is my little sister, and my mother's golden child. Aside from Hadyn, she's the only one who really cared about me since my father died. After I ran away, I'd come around every once in a while and Azalea would sneak me food. She helped me survive and I will forever be in her debt. "I miss her too" I whisper.

"C'mon, turn that frown upside-down Ranger!" he says trying to cheer me up. "Its Reaping day, and i personally can't wait to see that peacock of an escort Francis Danes prancing around stage".

He's the only one who makes jokes about my face, and I'm grateful for it. I don't need anyone's pity. He's also one of the few people who call me Ranger. Apparently when I was younger I couldn't say my name properly, but I said 'Ranger' instead. I guess the nickname just stuck.

Hadyn walks with me to the Reaping, not caring about the people around us who stare. He never does. He tries to cheer me up with jokes and funny anecdotes, which usually end with a particularly cheesy punch line, followed with a punch in the arm by me. Of course i would never tell him that his jokes were actually funny; couldn't have his already massive ego inflating any bigger because then I'd never hear the end of it.

We're one of the last to arrive and get there just in time to see the male tribute walking onto the stage. Hadyn points at him "isn't that the llama boy?" he asks.

"Yeah, and his name is Lloc, not llama, but i can see how you can get the two confused. His dad calls himself a 'llama whisperer' actually".

Hadyn looks at me shocked. "A joke? From you? I must be losing my mind."

I punch him in the arm again. "No I'm serious, and i only know this because my sister has had a crush on him since she was like five".

Hadyn gives me a 'sure sure' look while we wait for the announcement of the female tribute.

"Hydrangea Aster Anemone!"

Wait, what! My name was just called? How can this be? Hadyn looks about as stunned as I feel. And that's when the entire crowd point their stares in my direction. I have two options; I can crawl up into a ball and pretend this is just a bad dream, or i get up there and show this district – and my mother- that i am made of stronger stuff than that.

Straightening my spine, I walk straight through the crowd. Nobody moves for me, and i don't expect them to. These were kids that bullied and tormented me for years. They're not even worth my notice. I don't feel the angry shoves in my back, or the attempts at stepping on my feet. I just keep my eyes on the stage and tune out everything else. Francis practically recoils as I walk up the steps to take my position on the podium. All I can see is a sea of judgmental faces.

I've been told that the scar on my face makes me look I'm smirking even when I'm expressionless. For the first time in a long time, I smile the widest smile I can. Those judgmental faces turn to horror when they see my wicked grin.

It's not my fault, never my fault. It was their fault. They wanted to see me smile, and now they have.

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><p><em><strong>I'm really sorry if a few of these tributes have turned out a little darker than you initially envisioned. I guess i just lean towards the tortured soul type of character, so when you give me tributes with troubled pasts i just find the need to explore it in great detail, maybe a little too much :P<strong>_

**_Let me know what you all think, reviews are great and i'm probably the most receptive person when it comes to receiving criticism; both constructive and destructive._**


	12. The Reapings: District 11

**_Hello again sports fans! really sorry for the long wait :( been really busy with work and life and i know it's really no excuse. I apologise if this chapter isn't quite as well-written as my other ones, i suffered some severe writer's block on this one :/ i tried my best though... enjoy_****_!_**

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><p><strong><span>Nathaniel Grey POV<span>**

It's always struck me that District 11 is meant to be responsible for agriculture. For starters, with District 9 looking after grain, and 10 taking care of the livestock. There's really nothing left for us to culture. We've been reduced to picking fruit from trees and harvesting vegetables. Seems like a waste to me. District 11 has the infrastructure to support the work of all three districts yet the capitol keep us separate, even though it could mean opening up new trades and specialties.

I sigh to myself as I bend over and pull a carrot out of the ground. This one happens to be overripe, which means it's been exposed to too many of the growth hormones we have in the fertilizer in order to meet the vast demand on vegetables all over Panem. It's funny, the overripe carrot remind me of me in a way. It was planted at the same time as all the other carrots, and yet it received too much of a good thing, and now it stands out because of it: it's also virtually inedible. I throw the offending vegetable away.

I've always thought differently to the others in District 11. Always questioning, wondering why this and why that. When things didn't make sense to me I'd always voice my opinion. My mother Lena would scold me for being rude, and told me that I should accept what we have and that I can't change anything. I get that she tried to teach me these lessons the only way she knows how, but she can be a pretty cold woman sometimes. My father Argyle on the other hand, now he's the one who has always supported me. He nurtured my naturally curious brain, urging me to think outside the square. He also tells me that I should be trying to make new friends since Michael died, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

We were both 12, and because I was young I just had to open my big mouth. Back then I picked fruit from the large trees we house in the orchards. When I came down to the ground with only a handful of apples I thought that it would be much faster if we could use baskets of some kind that wouldn't restrict our climbing. I walked up to a nearby Peacekeeper and told him what I thought. He just laughed at me and shoved me rather roughly back in the direction of the trees. I was a stubborn young boy, so I held my ground; refusing to do any more work until he let me take my idea to someone of higher authority. I didn't expect him to pull the knife then. He approached me slowly with a mean grimace on his face. I realized too late that this man had no qualms about carving me up to teach me a lesson, so I ran.

I've always been short for my age, even now that I'm 17 my 13 year old brother is nearly as tall as me. My little legs didn't get me far before I felt a hand grab hold of my collar. That's when Michael had stepped in. he was watching from the tree line and decided it was time to intervene. We were like brothers, and in his mind he would have done anything to protect me. So with his chubby little hands he tried to grab hold of the Peacekeeper's arm and tear him away from me. Seeing the new boy, the Peacekeeper had swung backwards with his arm holding the knife and struck Michael in the temple with the pommel of the weapon before taking another swing and slicing my back open from right shoulder blade to my left hip. The blood that flowed made my clothes wet and slippery, the Peacekeeper lost his grip and I ran. I left my best friend behind just lying there on the ground. I didn't know at the time that he had died from the strike to the head, I thought the Peacekeeper had finished him off after I ran.

Ever since I just haven't been able to connect with anyone. I know why, it's the fear. The fear of being hurt again the way I hurt when Michael died. Now the only friend I have is Jimmy, my little brother. I've sworn never to leave him like I left Michael that day. I won't be the cause of anyone else I care about getting hurt.

I hear a trumpet sound and recognize the call for all those eligible for the hunger games to leave the fields and head over to the Reapings. I hate it. Everything that involves the Capitol I despise. If those Peacekeepers hadn't been so vicious I would still have my best friend, and those so called 'Peace' keepers reflect the Capitol's views. Therefore the Capitol is vicious, evidenced enough by these stupid hunger games that are held every year. What could be more terrible than 23 children sacrificed on an altar of blood for the sins of a people destroyed centuries ago? It's despicable.

Despite my feelings, I'm still eligible to be a tribute, and therefore I can't miss the Reapings. I make my way there not really expecting anything special. District 11 Reapings are hardly a flashy event. The crowds are always big though, as many families often have lots of children to help with work and to bring money into the family. My parents decided against that path. While we aren't all that rich, they felt that having children out of love was better than breeding workers. I guess I know where my morality compass comes from.

The escort walks up on stage in her fancy clothes and presents herself to the audience. There's a scattered applause but most remain silent. Feeling incredibly flustered the escort makes her way to the bowl full of Male names. I watch as she pulls out a piece of paper and calls out…

"Jacob Leroy!"

There's a moment of silence before every single person laughs. Jacob Leroy was reaped 3 years ago and made it to the final 5 before he met his end. Somehow his name must not have been removed from the lottery. All the more reason to hate the Capitol; terrible administration.

Now visibly shaking with nerves, the escort reaches another hand in and pulls out a fistful of names, half of which land on the floor. However in the end there is one name clasped between her fingers. With a very shaky voice the escort announces the male tribute from district 11.

"Nathaniel Grey!"

No-one laughs now as I make my way up to the podium. My face is empty but my body is churning with emotions. I feel like I Let Jimmy down. He's my brother and I was meant to protect him, how am I supposed to do that now? I meet his eyes from across the audience and he nods his head. I think he knows he's going to be on his own now. Or, at least until I win these stupid games and show everyone that I'm capable of protecting the ones I love.

**Flare Mathews POV**

"I've had enough!" Fae screams in frustration as she storms off back to the house. My dad was giving Fae, Beyya and I some extra training before the Reapings this morning, clearly Fae had enough.

"Don't worry about her dad; she's just jealous that we're so much better than her, aint that right sis?" Beyya is asking me to back her up, but as much as Fae tends to give me attitude, she's my sister and I still love her. So rather than answering I shrug my shoulders and get back into the right stance.

We're practicing close combat, always one of my weaker styles, which is why this is the lesson my dad planned for us today. As the three oldest still eligible to be reaped, dad wanted to make sure we were extra prepared. My older brother Jesse is 20 so he's free to do what he wants, but because I'm still 16 I need to train as hard as I can. My dad pushes us to train, even if it means sacrificing some of the work that we need to do to keep our family afloat. I think he's become obsessed since mum died. It happened 6 years ago. I was too young to be reaped so I wasn't affected then, but Jesse and Fae were and they had it bad. Dad wanted us to be safe, but training us became his life. He spent almost all the money we had on swords and spears and virtually any other weapon he could to make sure we were prepared. I could never get used to any of the big weapons, the bow and arrow was always the weapon of choice for me. Maybe it's the complete serenity and stillness required for the weapon that just reflects who I am. The past few years he's calmed down, become more of the dad I remember. He's not so worried anymore.

I've never been too worried myself, life just goes on and its us that need to change in order to fit into the world. That's why we train, to become stronger. Personally I'd much rather be sitting behind the old willow tree with a book in my hand than here but it's what my father wants so i do it for him.

After a few hours of practice we call it a day and head inside. Fortunately I'm the first one back so I get the choice cuts from brunch. What's perhaps unfortunate is that because dad was out training with us my three younger siblings Taylor Garret and Spencer had decided it was their responsibility to make the food. I had half a serving of corn/toast/eggs/whatever else they could get their hands on before excusing myself from the table and ransacking the fridge for something edible. I love my sisters and brother's but trying new things with food is not one of their specialties. They try though, which is good.

Usually we go to the Reapings as a family, a united front. For some reason, today I'm just not feeling up to that. I sneak out the back and smile as I catch a glimpse of Fae spitting her food back up onto her plate in disgust. Well at least the kids know not to experiment with ingredients anymore.

I'm on my own as I make the long walk to the Reapings. I take the moment of peace to breathe in the fresh air. If there's one thing I live about District 11 it's the fresh air. It comes from all the fruit trees and all the orchards. I marvel at all the life that exists around me, the trees, the plants, animals, and insects. Everything has its place and everything in the world works in harmony. It is with that pleasant mindset that I enter the square where the Reapings are to be held. I arrive just as the trumpet to stop work sounds. Within minutes people are arriving, a throng all dressed in their worker's clothes. I look around for my family and I see them standing near the back of the crowd. In district 11 we dispensed with the archaic tradition of separation the prospective tributes by age and sex years ago.

"Where did you go?" my dad asks as I arrive. "We missed you at brunch"

"I was there I just left early, needed to get some air."

My dad seems satisfied with the answer and stands back up again, his attention fully focused on the podium. I turn around when I hear the escort call the male tributes name. Beyya laughs along with the rest when Jacob's name gets called. I don't find it so funny. Jacob went to my school and I vaguely knew him. It wasn't funny to watch him get reaped the first time.

The escort recovers slightly but loses it again, grabbing almost all the names out in one quick movement. In the end she still only holds one name in her hand. Nathaniel gets called, again a kid at my school, though he's in the year level above me. I don't know him so well, but he's always struck me as the silent type, always alone at lunch, when he comes to school and isn't working that is.

My attention returns to the Escort as she reaches into the bowl of female names, with a little more grace this time. Only a few other names spill this time, but she's left with two names in her hand. Just when I thought she couldn't embarrass herself any more, I watch as she does eeny-meeny-miney-mo with the two names. I might've laughed too, if the name she called out next wasn't "Flare Mathews."

To think, I'm forced to enter a death match all because my piece of paper lost at eeny-meeny. My family is shocked, and I can see that all their faces reflect the pain they feel inside. I know that any of them would volunteer for me if they could, but we all know that I was always the best at my father's training, if any of us have a chance to survive the hunger games, it's me.

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><p><em><strong>So that's another chapter down, i would start on D12 reaping's but i'm honestly too tired and anything i write now would be absolute rubbish. So i'm jut gonna have to wait untill tomorrow when my head is a lot clearer and my ideas can flow a lot easier. Until then, enjoy yourselves; and wherever you are have a happy valentine's day!<strong>_


	13. The Reapings: District 12

**_This is it folks, the final Reaping! thank you for sticking with me so far :) Without further adieu... District 12!_**

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><p><strong><span>Octavian Voltaire POV<span>**

My prey is just sitting there, completely oblivious to my existence in the trees above him. I signal silently to Auva to move in on the creature from the north, while I wait to ambush it from a southward position. The rabbit's ears perk up as Auva approaches, louder than perhaps she should be. It starts running, in the opposite direction to me.

"C'mon you should've seen this coming" I say to myself. Talking to myself somehow calms me down when I'm nervous or anxious. Right now I have a rabbit to chase down. It bounds left and right, while I chase it silently but just as swiftly through the treetops. It pauses for a second to see whether it's still being pursued, that's when I strike. I launch myself out from the leaves and practically land on the poor critter, breaking its spine immediately. Normally I would've used my sword, but I didn't have time to draw it. The sword is an heirloom, passed through my family. Of course I can't have it inside the fence, but out here anything goes, so long as you don't get caught. Hunting like this reminds me of the stories I've read about Katniss Everdeen. I know she used to hunt in these very woods from the books I've collected about her. She led a rebellion against the Capitol, which is exactly my dream, except I will succeed where she failed.

Auva comes crashing through the underbrush. "Damn you 9-Volt!" she exclaims."I almost had the little guy."

I laugh at her obvious lie and grab the rabbit by its hind legs. "You wish. Now let's go before a patrol comes by and spots us. Last time we were cutting it close and the Peacekeepers will be especially alert today since its Reaping day." Auva is the only one who calls me 9-Volt, mainly because I was born exactly 9 months before her. Normally I prefer to be called Travis because I hate the name Octavian, but Auva would never call me that.

"Yeah I guess" Auva agrees, and we trudge off together to the practically nonexistent fence. It's designed to keep us citizens out, but district 12 is so poor that even the government can't maintain its own infrastructure. Only certain sections of the fence are 'live' and these are the least guarded areas. That's how we get out. Even the live fences have dead-zones that can be exploited; all you need to do is know the right spots. I spent a whole day figuring out one particular section of fence near my house so now I know every live and dead zone there could be.

Auva snatches our catch from me as we approach the fence. "May I?" she asks excitedly.

I gesture at the fence as if to say 'go ahead.' With great accuracy Auva throws the rabbit into the fence, striking a live zone in the process. For a moment nothing happens, then thousands of volts of electricity surge through the cables and fry the already dead creature to a crisp. I pick it up from where it landed close to me, now it's fairly cooked and ready to eat. Sure, it's by no means conventional, but it saves heaps on the home electricity bill by fence-cooking rather than oven-cooking.

Even though my dad's a butcher it's not easy to find good meat. District 12 are always given the scraps, which is unfair because most of us are miners that work all day round in the mines and have to come home to a single leg of ham. That's why my dad doesn't really mind me hunting outside the fence, because it means I can help put food on the table so more can go into the shop. It helps everyone really.

The skins of the animals I can give to my mother. Usually she makes cloth from the wool of sheep, but if give her the pelt of a rabbit or a fox, she can make a pair of gloves, or something that we can either use ourselves or sell to others. Only one of my brothers still lives here in District 12; he's a miner. My other brother left us a few years back to work in district 9 as a farmer. He sends us letters from time to time, and a little food to ease the burden. Apparently it isn't so bad over there. My older sister was killed 10years ago in the Hunger Games; I was 6 at the time. Luckily my parents still had the three sons to look after so they didn't fall apart completely. But in the young mind of a boy I blamed the hunger games for my sister's death and not the tribute that slayed her. To this day I still hate the hunger games for what they did to me and my family. My oldest brother tried to volunteer for her when she was reaped. The Peacekeepers laughed as they whipped him; saying that he wanted to be a girl. He's ok now, we're all ok, but the mental anguish we suffered at the hands of the Capitol and its stupid games was excruciating.

Now it's my turn to have my head on the chopping block. At 16 I'm the only one in my family still eligible for the hunger games. Unfortunately I turn 17 in a month's. Only a few weeks earlier and I'd have two Reapings to look forward to, not three. Auva and I drop the rabbit off at my father's butcher shop before making our way to the reaping. I wanted to say hi to dad but Brent –his assistant- had said he was busy on an errand.

The two of us arrive with plenty of time to spare. The Reapings in District 12 are a very sad affair. We don't even have a mentor, as there hasn't been a single winner of the hunger games from here since the 74th hunger games, where Katniss and Peeta were crowned the victors. They're long gone and now there's no-one left to lead the tributes through their time of strife. Everyone knows that being Reaped in District 12 is equivalent to a death sentence. The whole crowd is silent as the escort reaches her pale hand into the bowl of names, drawing a card out with great care.

"And the male representative from District 12 this year is Octavian Voltaire!"

Rather than feeling sadness, a fury erupts within me. I storm up to the podium in a fit of rage. The Capitol takes my sister, and now they're trying to take me? "Oh no. That's not happening. Not today, not EVER! I'll see everyone in that arena dead by my own hand if it means coming out alive."

**Laura Watson POV**

I truly can't imagine anything better than watching the sunrise. It's the mixture of reds, blues and oranges that light up the sky to create magic. I shake myself out of my reverie and get back to work. Because I'm quite tall and strong for a 15 year old girl, my dad lets me help him out while he's mining. He won't ever let me go into the tunnels, but any coal that he manages to lug out, I cart back to the refinery. It's not a very fun job, but it helps my dad and it means he doesn't have to pay a stranger twice as much to do half the work.

My dad comes out of the tunnel, a lantern in one hand, and his pickaxe in the other. "Laura I think that's enough for today, you'll want to be getting your stuff ready for the Reapings." He wipes the sweat off of his forehead and waits for my response, but I'm completely frozen. I can't take my eyes away from the lantern light. The more I stare at it the more trapped I feel and my chest starts to ache. Quickly realizing the problem my dad quickly snuffs out the flame and throws the lantern away. I sink to the floor and he comes down to cradle me in his arms.

I have a deadly fear of fire. It's not like one of those irrational fears either. This fear is founded solely in reality. Four years ago, when I was 11, my older sister and I had been left alone at home. It was something that happened often in those days, my mum would leave home before sunrise to go to the early markets to buy fresh food and supplies, while my dad would leave early to mine before any others got there and picked the good spots. My sister was 13 at the time. She had woken up to make herself an early morning snack, but had forgotten to turn the stove off. A few minutes after she went to bed, smoke began to fill the air. Our house had lit on fire! She was the one who woke me, back then and still to this day I can sleep through anything. She saved my life. She ushered me out of the burning house, dodging falling rafters and avoiding damaged floorboards. We were meters from the doorway when the floor gave out beneath us. With one last burst of strength my sister grabbed me by my nightgown and threw me across the threshold. The moment I hit soft dirt the roof caved in and my heroic sister was buried under tons of burning rubble.

It took 3 days to clear the mess, and all they found of my sister's body was a jumble of broken bones. I couldn't sleep for weeks. I'd wake up in a cold sweat thinking only of fire, and the fire that killed my sister. That's why I can't go near any naked flame. It reminds me of that time and I completely freeze up.

My dad walks me home and packs my things while I recover. This sort of thing has happened before so my family knows how to deal with it. My parents always make it a point to come with me and support me during the Reapings and now more than ever I'm grateful for it. I know I'd never be able to get there on my own feeling the way I do, which would only get me in worse trouble with the peacekeepers.

Thankfully I recover enough to move around on my own without assistance, and I thank my dad for helping me. He just pulls me tight and whispers to me that "everything is going to be ok". The three of us walk together to the Reapings and we wait patiently while the rest of the people show up. I spot my friend Pheobe Deadman and excuse myself from my parent's presence to go see her. Pheobe is really my only friend in the district, because she accepts me for all my little quirks.

"Hey" she says as she sees me approaching. "You're just in time for the bore-fest".

I decide not to reply, because I know I'll say something rude. I find it odd that Pheobe cares so little about the Reapings, it's almost like she wouldn't mind if she got reaped. I think it's terrible, sending kids off to die like this. I feel even worse when Octavian Voltaire is called up to be the Male tribute. I don't really know him all that well, but I've seen him around the district, very sneaky-like. It's like he's always planning something in that head of his.

I decide very quickly that it's none of my business what Octavian is thinking and I focus on the escort reading out the name of the female tribute.

"Congratulations to Laura Watson! You've been selected as District 12's female tribute!"

I'm completely shocked, and the look in Pheobe's eyes says that she's feeling sad for me. Just like she's my only friend, I'm hers too. Without me here it will be lonely for her. I give my best friend a suck hug and make my way up to the podium. I can see my parents crying from where they are standing. To think, they lost one daughter only to lose another one now. That thought sets my tears off and I can't help the waterworks that flow. I hope that I can do this, not for me, but for my parents. They don't deserve to be alone.

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><p><strong><em>Tomorrow i'll get started on the good parts, when the tributes finally meet each other! for now i just hope you're enjoying the story so far :) <em>**


	14. Preperations

**_I know this chapter is a little short, but it was a way of integrating the tribute list into the actual story so i don't breach fanfic regulations :)_**

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><p><strong><span>Nathaniel Vice's POV<span>**

_This is the life_ I think to myself as I relax in my lavender scented bathtub. I'm so glad that all the Reapings are over. No more having to watch the families of tributes cry. Crying creeps me out; it's a little pet peeve of mine. I had my own tear ducts removed long ago, so I'm incapable of crying, even if I feel sad; which I never do. Sometimes the things we Capitol citizens do does seem a little weird, but other times its just purely a matter of convenience.

"Sir, the final list of the tributes is here" my assistant Walter says as he hands me a sheet of paper. I read down the list carefully, memorising every letter on every line; as if the names of these tributes will open some sort of gateway so I can see into their souls.

District 1 – Luxury

(Male) – Fibbi Luxius _**(16)**_

(Female) – Emilia Escot _**(17)**_

District 2 – Masonry

(Male) – Mason Stone _**(18)**_

(Female) – Ayame Wolfe _**(15)**_

District 3 – Electronics

(Male) – Daniel 'Danny' Di Vinci _**(16)**_

(Female) – Tayla Candrum _**(16)**_

District 4 – Fishing

(Male) – Jasper Eaves _**(15)**_

(Female) – Mairin Cliona _**(18)**_

District 5 – Power

(Male) – Tristan Willows _**(17)**_

(Female) – Kahlen "Pinton" Kingsley _**(17)**_

District 6 – Transportation

(Male) – Arden Olt _**(17)**_

(Female) – Calla Pyre **_(14)_**

District 7 – Lumber

(Male) – William Kilmurray _**(14)**_

(Female) – Ashley Pine _**(16)**_

District 8 – Textiles

(Male) – Alexander Bright _**(17)**_

(Female) – Cailey Birch _**(14)**_

District 9 – Grain

(Male) – Rodney Loranson _**(17)**_

(Female) – Sophie O'Donnel _**(15)**_

District 10 – Livestock

(Male) – Lloc Shazwick _**(14)**_

(Female) – Hydrangea "Ranger" Aster Anemone_**(17)**_

District 11 – Agriculture

(Male) – Nathaniel Grey **_(17)_**

(Female) – Flare Railynna Matthews _**(16)**_

District 12 – Coal

(Male) – Octavian Voltaire _**(16)**_

(Female) – Laura Watson _**(15)**_

From what I saw earlier on some of the tapes, the tributes are a rather odd bunch of kids. They come in all shapes and sizes; small, skinny, tall, muscled. It'll be fun watching as they all try to interact with each other on the training days. Soon all 24 will arrive on their little trains and be thrown headfirst into Capitol life. The best part? I'm going to be there every step of the way to watch them squirm with discomfort. There'll be more than one thing about this year's hunger games that will make these tributes uncomfortable. With my plans finally approved by President Swift, these tributes will be in for a big surprise when they step into that arena…

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><p><em><strong>Ok so i received a review today that got me thinking... why dont I leave it to you guys to decide who you'd like to form an alliance with? I mean, these are your tributes and theoretically they watch the tapes from all the other tribute's hunger games, so they get a basic understanding of the other tributes.<strong>_

**_So what i'm thinking is that if each of you PM me (through your character's thread, you should all still have it in your inbox) detailing your first and second preference for your tribute to be in an alliance with. _**

**_I will not accept more than two, any more will just be ignored. There will be no large alliances except for the careers, its just too unrealistic. _**

**_Not everyone will get their first choice, but i think that most people will be in some sort of alliance, as temporary as it may be._**

**_Any questions feel free to PM me as well, i'm always happy to answer in as much detail as possible._**

**_Happy hunting! :)_**


	15. Why can't we be friends?

**Sophie O'Donnel POV**

I can't believe that it's been almost a week since I was Reaped. It's like it all happened in a rush. Saying goodbye to my dad in the Justice Building, then being practically pushed onto the train into the Capitol. I was feeling really anxious the whole train ride, but Rodney seemed an odd mixture of angry and excited both at the same time. We didn't talk much – not that we ever did back in District 9.

Now both of us are standing side by side, watching the other 22 tributes nervously. I can feel a weight growing in my stomach as the nerves start to get to me. I do a couple of breathing exercises that I learned when I was younger to try and calm myself down. I can do this.

It's the first our three training day's and I'm already feeling the pressure. Everyone is just standing there, no-one willing to make the first move. We all appear calm on the outside, but we're all judging everyone else, seeing who's the strongest, the weakest.

Ayame Wolfe – I remember her when I watched all the Reapings because her hair was even redder than mine – is the first person to break the silence. "Alright we better get this started. Everyone from 1, 2, and 4 come to me. To the rest of you, all I can say is you better start training." With that she walks off into a corner, clearly waiting for everyone else to follow her. Some do, while the rest of us are left behind. But now that the silence is broken, everyone seems to come to life, walking over to various training stations and practicing their skills.

I feel a little lost. I'm not exactly sure of what to do. I've never really had any training before. I think the best thing for me right now is to learn how to use a weapon, I mean; I have to learn how to protect myself in the arena somehow right? Even still, there are just too many choices. The sword, dagger, bow and arrow. I just don't get any of it. My eyes fall on a particular weapon. It's a spear. For some reason I'm drawn towards it. I guess a spear is ok. It stops enemies getting close to me, and if I need to I can throw it. Plus it could be useful for getting fruit and things out of trees. I pick up the weapon and test the weight. It feels pretty good in my hands. I take a few swings around my body to test the movement, nearly hitting the girl next to me in the process. She looks so young. "Sorry!" I say out of reflex, before realising that this is training and I'm meant to be trying to act tough.

Before I can come back with something more appropriate, she smiles up at me. "That's ok. You seemed pretty focussed there so I'm sure you didn't mean it. My names Cailey by the way." The little girl says as she jumps up and down.

I sigh and can't help but smile at her antics. "My name's Sophie and I'm so lost right now."

"So am I. I thought that I'd try to learn some weapon skills but I'm afraid I won't be able to because I'm not as strong as some of you bigger kids." Her admission is followed by a quizzical look on her face. "What's with your voice?" she asks questioningly.

I laugh "don't worry about that, it's just my accent, I'm not originally from Panem."

Cailey looks shocked at the news. "Really? I didn't think there was anyone else outside of Panem."

"Yeah there is" I reply. "But everyone is just so poor; it's not even worth living there. That's why my father approached the Panem government and they let us move here."

Cailey appears speechless and just nods her head almost absentmindedly, absorbing every word.

"You were worried about the weapons because you thought you were weak right?" I ask her.

She nods, and it looks like she's about to cry. The poor thing, she's probably so scared right now.

"Come with me" I say, pulling her over towards the knife station. "I think because you're smaller, and probably a lot more agile than some of us bigger kids, you'll be able to use one of these better than anyone else here". I watch as her face lights up at the news, and she grabs a hold of the weapon in her hand. She lakes a couple of quick swings and I laugh. Then a look of seriousness comes across her face and she deftly swings her arm forward, throwing the knife at a target in the distant. There's a resounding thud as the blade embeds itself into the wood. It isn't anywhere near the bullseye, but the fact that she hit the target at all surprises me. I guess my little ally has some tricks up her sleeve after all.

**Emilia Escot POV**

I'm one of the five that follow the girl who made that announcement at the start of the training. She seemed like she knows what she was doing and I was fine to follow her lead. The six of us stand in a tight circle waiting for someone to break the silence. It's the Red-head again who speaks first. "Ok guys" she begins "This year is going to be a little bit tricky. Firstly there'll be no cornucopia, so we're going to have to find our own food and water. And Secondly, it'll be hard to form a pack considering that we're all starting separate." She takes a breath, preparing to deliver her speech. "I think what we should do is..."

"I'm sorry Ayame, but before you speak" The boy from district 2 interrupts "I want nothing to do with this. Consider your 'pack' a man short this year". With that surprising outburst, he walks off towards the rest of the tributes and the training stations.

For a moment everyone is silent, and the girl looks like she's about to start speaking, when I make a last-minute decision and follow after the boy.

"Fine!" the girl calls out to our retreating backs. "Then you become a target just like everyone else!"

I catch up to him and turn him to face me. His arms come up in a defensive position as if he's expecting an attack. When he sees that I'm just a girl he lowers his guard a little. "What do you want?"

"I think that was pretty honourable what you did back there". It's the only thing I can think to say.

"Thanks" comes the terse reply as he turns to leave again.

I follow, much to his apparent annoyance. "What's your name?" I ask.

"Mason" he grunts. "If you don't mind I need to head to the survival station, if I'm going to be on my own I'm going to need to learn a few things about hunting."

"Well I'm Emilia, and who says you have to be on your own? I know how to hunt and a fair bit about wilderness survival" I say with a smile.

He turns around and faces me. "Look, thanks. Really. But right now I'm perfectly happy being on my own. I got away from the others so I would stay away from all you people who think you're so good because of your training, and you think that you're so cool because you volunteered. Well here's a news flash for you. Not all of us who volunteered did so because we wanted to be in the games. My brother's a cripple, and I had to volunteer to protect him. So don't come over here with your high-and-mighty attitude thinking you'll make an ally out of me because it won't work!" He turns to storm away but I grab onto his arm firmly.

"You really think I'm like that?" I say, tears forming in my eyes. "You think that I wanted this? I'm more like you than you think. My sister was Reaped, my 12 year old sister! I couldn't let her go through this, hell I'm barely even managing to hold on myself." The tears are flowing freely now. "I saw you stand up to those careers and I knew there was something about you. So I came to you and offered to help you! You're not the only one who tried to protect someone they love."

All the anger has drained out of his face now. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I just assumed..."

"You assumed I was just like every other girl in the career districts didn't you?" I ask. He nods his head in shame.

He sighs and looks up at me. "I'm sorry. Truly, I had no right to snap at you like that. How about we start over?" He holds out his hand in an offering of peace. "Hi, I'm Mason, what's your name?"

**Mairin Cliona POV**

I watch silently as the two kids leave our circle. Good riddance I say, they clearly don't have what it takes to be a career. Ayame curses. "Damn it! We can't afford to be two men down. Especially this year. We need to recruit a couple more, what do you guys think?"

I nod, as does the big guy from District 1. However my District partner Jasper just shakes his head. "I'm sorry guys" he says as he backs away. "But I can't be a part of this either." With little more than that the scrawny little boy runs away. Now there's only three of us. Ayame is practically fuming.

I decide it's time to give my 2 cents worth. "Well we need at least three more people, why don't we each go around and pick one? I'm sure any normal person wouldn't question being invited into the careers." This seems to calm Ayame down, and she agrees.

"Ok, each of us go around and grab one other person, then bring them back here so I can outline the plan." The three of us separate on her orders and begin to scout the room for potential members of our pack.

I watch as the other two go straight towards the biggest kids they can find. But I'm not as shallow as that. I know that in our group we'll need someone smart, someone knowledgeable and capable. I head straight towards the boy from District 3, Daniel. I made sure to remember him, because I knew I wanted him as an ally from the moment I saw his tape. "Hi there" I call out to him. He looks so engrossed in the camouflage station that he barely seems to register me. "I said hi there" an element of annoyance is creeping into my voice.

"Oh hello" he says, almost as if he was surprised to see me next to him. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I was impressed by the way you handled yourself at the Reapings, I also wanted to extend you an invitation to join me in the career pack this year." I force a flirty smile onto my face, even though I can feel barely anything inside.

"Hmm. Yea... Nahh I think I'll pass" He says, a smirk appearing on his lips.

"You'll what?" I ask. I must have misheard him.

"I'll pass. I think I'm gonna be perfectly fine right here on my lonesome, but thanks anyway."

I can't believe the nerve of this kid. First he rejects an involvement with the careers, and then he walks away from me just like that! This puts a serious setback in my plans, but its ok, because like any intelligent person I have a backup. Still riding on my anger wave, I storm over to the other District 3 tribute, Tayla. Before she can say anything I grab her by the scruff of the neck and practically drag her to where the other two are waiting with their new recruits. "Don't say a word unless you're spoken to" I warn her as we come up to the group.

"What do we have here?" Ayame asks sarcastically. "Fibbi and I bring back big tough guys, and you bring us a little girl?"

I can't believe I have to justify myself to her. "She's from district 3. I wanted the other one but he refused. She's smart, trust me, we can use her." Tayla doesn't look like she appreciates being talked about like she's not there but I don't really care.

"Fine" Ayame says. "Well I guess then we have Arden and Tristan here to round out our group of 6."

I can see why the others chose those two. Arden looks about as tall as a mountain, and not disproportionately so. Tristan, on the other hand, has a mean look to him, almost like he's eager to cause some damage. I guess this year's career pack is looking strong after all.

I turn to Fibbi, the boy from District 1. "So did you pick Tristan or Arden?" I want to know how this guy thinks. If he chose Tristan then I know he's got a mean streak on the inside too; but if he chose Arden then he's more concerned about physical size and strength. Fibbi shakes his head and points to Arden. Of course Ayame would have picked Tristan; anyone could spot her dark side from a mile away. Something doesn't sit right with me though. I take another glance at Fibbi. He's just standing there, not really looking at anything in particular. "Hey you! You looked really eager to volunteer on your tape, what's that all about."

The boy just stares at me. Suddenly it clicks. It starts as a little giggle, but it transforms rapidly into a hysterical laugh. I actually have to force myself not to just fall on the ground and roll around.

Ayame looks like she's about to explode. "What! What's so funny?"

"Him!" I say, barely able to contain my laughter. I point right at Fibbi and barely get the next words out of my mouth. "He's a mute!"

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><p><em><strong>Let me know if this was ok! Especially those of you who's tributes are in this chapter. I know that it seems a little alliance-heavy at the moment but its not going to be like that, you'll just have to wait and see what happens. The way most of these alliances are working is that if you guessed which character was mine correctly, then you got either your first of second preference for an alliance, if you guessed wrong then your alliance application was discarded. technically that means you could still be allied with one of your preferences if they picked you too :P<strong>_

**_Please review, every one i receive makes me a better writer, its true. Kinda like the hulk, except replace anger with reviews and replace super mutantness with awesome writing skills...ness :P_**


	16. I'll be watching you

_**Apologies to some people if they didn't /don't get the alliance they asked for. Generally speaking its because they either guessed my tribute wrong, or - in the case of the careers - I had to make an executive decision based on the bios you all sent me. Anyways enjoy the second part of training day 1!**_

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><p><strong><span>Ayame Wolfe POV<span>**

For a moment I'm a little shocked, looking first at the laughing form of Mairin, then to the stoic Fibbi. I can feel my anger boiling over again. I give Fibbi a thwack on the chest. "You! Why didn't you tell me you were a mute?" He just looks at me and raises an eyebrow in a sarcastic manner. I can't help but chuckle a little at my own joke –whether I meant it or not. "Alright it doesn't matter, as long as you look big and strong and you can listen to what I have to say I don't see anything wrong with having you here". Fibbi relaxes visibly; clearly he was worried that once we found out we'd kick him out for being weak.

Personally I have no problem with mute guys, as long as they can get the job done. "Alrighty, here's the plan". We all huddle in close so no-one else can hear our conversation. "We're all starting alone right? Well we need to get together somehow, and there's no way of knowing what kind of arena this will be. So here's what I was thinking up on the train ride here. If we all head to the most eastward part of the arena, then we should all meet up eventually, and then we'll all go from there. So for those of you who don't know their easts from their wests, just head towards the rising sun. That way you have a clear direction in the morning, and in the afternoon you don't have the sun in your eyes to blind you from potential threats."

Everyone seems to agree that this was a good plan. Of course it is. I came up with it. "For now, let's just all go our separate ways and try to focus on the survival stations. I'm sure that most of you haven't been trained that way, as careers we'd normally not have to worry about it because we take control of the cornucopia. But with no cornucopia there's no food or supplies, we need to figure food out for ourselves; in the wild."

Another round of nods lets me know that this is another good plan. Everyone departs and I'm left on my own. I've trained my whole life for this day, and in every way possible. I don't need these training stations and it'll be best to lay low for now; I'll have the others just assume I'm a weak little girl with more bark than bite.

It's fairly established that I'm the leader of this group by now. That's good. Because I'll be the one paying extra special attention to every single one of these guys; finding out their weaknesses and how to overcome their strengths so that when the time comes I can take them all out one by one. A small smile creeps across my lips. They'll all find out that my bite can be many times worse than my bark. The Wolfe always catches its prey; one way or another.

**Calla Pyre POV**

This station is beginning to grate on my nerves. Even though I'm quite deft with my fingers, I just cannot seem to master the art of slipping poison silently into someone else's drink. Every single time I try the instructor spots me, despite me copying his movements almost exactly. I try to calm myself by thinking that others will clearly not be as observant as this man who is fully trained in this art. It seems to work and my rage fizzles out. Thankfully, I noticed a punching bag over at the martial arts station, so I can let my anger out that way if it comes to it.

I spare a moment to glance around at the other tributes in the room. It would seem that my district partner Arden has already managed to get himself invited into the career pack. No doubt it is because of his mammoth stature. Arden didn't seem like the violent type to me, but I'm sure he feels there's more safety in numbers and so joined up with them instead of trying to go out on his own. It's a smart tactic, and one that I wish I had come up with. Being a musical virtuoso only counts for so much; it's not like I am incredibly intelligent, just infinitely talented.

Fed up with the poison station, I make my way over to another area in which I need to improve. The spear station. As I arrive, I see two other girls leaving. One looks older, with fiery red hair, while the other is younger, she looks around 12 but I know that she's 14 like me. I recognise Cailey Birch from her Reaping tape because she looked so small and helpless, that I swore I would do anything to protect her, even if I wasn't her ally. Something about small children seems to bring out an incredible maternal instinct within me that I have no sense of control over. I have no reason to doubt that if it came to me and Cailey in the arena, I would sacrifice myself so that she could live without even a second thought.

I sigh as I watch the two walking away together. Already people are forming ties of friendship and alliances. I just hope that when the time comes, I'm not alone without anyone else to back me up...

**Tristan Willows POV**

Damn it. When Ayame called me over to join the tributes I was over the moon. It would just get me even closer to the District 2 boy – Mason. Imagine my surprise when I found out that he decided to split from the careers! At least I am close to Ayame, she's district 2 enough for me so if I don't find Mason in the arena I can always kill her in her sleep then run off to find him on my own. I will have my vengeance one way or the other.

When we all split up I ran straight towards the knife station. I'd show everyone that I'm no weakling. Two girls are in my way as I approach the station, one jumping with joy that she'd hit the target. What a disgrace, she didn't get anywhere near the bullseye. I shove them both aside with my shoulder, and with a smooth motion born form years of practice, I pick up the weapon and fling it at the target. My blade does hit the bullseye and I smile when I see the shock on the faces of the runts.

"Hey you big Meany!" the smaller one calls out. "There's no reason to act like that, why don't you go and pick on someone your own size!"

I walk right up to her, so that her face is centimetres away from my chest. I know that I'm that much bigger than her, and I can see her confidence fading fast. "Because it's so much more fun to pick on little kids like you" I say as I shove her back into the other girl. I pick up another few knives and throw them at the target, each one connecting and all within a hand's span of the first blade still embedded in the target.

I scoff and walk past the two girls again, and smile at the look of fear on their faces. That's the reaction I was hoping for. If people fear me then in the arena they're less likely to try and take me on. I'm sure I'll be able to hold my own, but I want to be in peak physical condition when I find Mason.

I head towards the survival station now. Even though I hate her, Ayame gives good advice. And if I plan on leaving the pack at all during the Games I'm going to need to learn how to fend for myself.

**Nathaniel Grey POV**

There is practically no way not to be noticed with 23 other kids wandering around the room. The training room is pretty large, but not so large that there's anywhere to hide. I have to remind myself that I can't trust anyone here. In the end it'll be me against them, and I cannot afford to lose. I make my way over to one of the least occupied stations, the traps station.

Growing up in District 11 might have given me the knowledge of how to identify edible plants, but I need to find some way to get meat, and I'm terrible at hunting. There are very few weapons available in district 11, so I never learned how to use typical hunting weapons like the bow and arrow. Hopefully learning how to make traps and snares will be easier than trying to learn a whole new weapon; plus it could come in handy against some of the other tributes.

Working on my own, I can concentrate more on the task at hand and I pick the skill up very quickly. While I sit back and take a break I also take the time to observe some of the other tributes. I notice the guy from District 2 and girl from District 1 talking amongst themselves. I'm surprised. I wonder why neither of them are joining up as part of the career pack. I'm also surprised to see a few alliances springing up, there's those two, obviously the careers, plus the two younger girls over by the knife station.

I watch as the two are pushed out of the way by the big guy from District 5. I think his name is Tristan. He seems like a pretty tough nut to crack. I watch as his first knife bites deep into the wood of the target, emitting a loud sound in the process. From the corner of my eye I see a movement. The girl from District 3 – Tayla – she jumped at the loud sound. Now that I'm watching I can see her flinch and shake every time another one of Tristan's knives hits home. I file that little piece of information away in my head. Guess Tayla isn't a particular fan of loud noises.

Having taken a long enough break I look around for another deserted station that I can make use of. I figure I've got food covered for now, it's time to get some survival training. I'm tossing up between the knot-tying station and the camouflage station before my decision is made for me when the girl from District 5 makes her way to the knot-tying station. Guess its camouflage for me, which I think is a good thing. At least I know I'll be hard to spot when I'm sneaking up on people.

**Tayla Candrum POV**

I honestly don't know what to think. One second I was just minding my own business about to head to the engineering station when I feel a strong hand grab me by my shirt's collar and drag me over towards the careers. I thought the girl was trying to kill me! All of a sudden they're standing there talking about me like I'm not even here. Even though I grew up in the Capitol and am used to this kind of behaviour it's still really annoying. Still, I don't see any reason why I should interrupt. An alliance with the careers could see me go pretty far in these games. To be honest I feel like the weakest link. Everyone around here looks like they could beat me up no problem, but Mairin's right, I am smart, and I can definitely be of use to them.

After Ayame outlines her plan we all separate and go to different stations. I honestly don't know where to start. I realise that Ayame hasn't moved from her position, she's just glancing around the room. No doubt she's eyeing everyone off, trying to figure out our weaknesses.

I take a page from her book and stand off to the side trying to observe all of the other tributes. I don't think I'll pull off the tough look so I go for the meek appearance. Hopefully people will see me and not think I'm much of a threat. Either they won't worry about coming after me in the arena, or I'll surprise them with how resourceful I can be.

A sudden noise seems to explode in the room. My whole body tenses up at the sound. Ever since I was young I've had an irrational fear of loud noises, and silence as well. I just freak out; I can't handle it. I'm barely able to keep it together as thud after thud seems to resonate in my skull until finally the noises stop. Gasping, I look up to see Tristan walking away from the knife station, several of the projectiles rooted in the wood of the target. I try to catch my breath but it just comes back shallow. I'm really going to have to find a better way of dealing with this because I can't just get frightened by every single loud noise in the arena. I'll be a sitting duck for sure.

On the plus side I'm allied with Tristan as part of the career pack, and his throwing skills are impressive. But there's something about him that tells me to keep him at arm's length and not to let him get close. There's a slight ferocity about him and until I know at what it's directed I think it's best to steer clear of the guy.

I spend the rest of the training session just observing and taking notes in my head, just like I think Ayame's doing. These Hunger games will prove to be pretty tough, but as long as I play it smart I know that I have a chance.

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><p><em><strong>If you're wondering at all how i decide what order i'm writing the training POV's in; I've actually written a list of the tributes and roll a dice to see who goes next :P. No major spoilers but i'm letting you know that luck (and particularly the roll of a dice) will have a big part to play for the tributes in the arena.<strong>_

_**Also, just a couple quick question for all of you: Would you like it if i went through every single tribute's training POV? or did just a few more? And secondly, would you like to see more or less POV's per chapter? **_

_**Oh and as always please review :) **_

_**Thanks for sticking with me so far!**_


	17. Where do we go from here?

_**Author's note:**_

_**I'm SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY!**_

**_I can't believe how long it has been since I've updated._**

**_Its was all my fault, got caught up with university and so much wok! but now things have cooled down so i have time for writing. Still very sorry though :( _**

**_I can't promise that i'll be updating as frequently as i did when i first published this story but i can say that i'll try get at least a couple of chapters in a week._**

**_Just going to address a few concerns here:_**

**_1) I'm not going to reveal which character is mine to everyone, i have only told a few and those were exceptions. The only reason i did that was to par people into alliances, and i have that sorted (in my head at least)._**

**_2) This story is not dead, i know i should have mentioned this at the start a lot more clearly but im doing it now. DONT GIVE UP ON ME! :(:(:(_**

**_3) (This wasnt one of your concerns it's one of mine) I wont be doing any more training chapters, quite frankly i liked how they left off and i think it would be too tedious and annoying to write everyone's._**

_**Ok so i'm going straight into the story here. Normally i would PM all of you regarding your tribute's next actions but because we're all starting from the same spot this makes a lot more sense.**_

**_This is the Scenario..._**

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><p>Your tribute rises out of the ground and find's themselves instantly bathed in sunlight. As promised, they are alone. Looking around, they find themselves on what appears to be a long, curved stretch of beach, however there is a very dense treeline that prevents your tribute seeing much further in the distance. Your tribute also notices that the sun is rising East of their position. Upon further inspection your tribute realizes that the arena is sloped, with the 'Southern end' (your current position) being the lowest point, and the 'northern end' being the highest point. Far off into the north your tribute spies what looks like a tower of some kind, but they cannot be sure. The trees on the northern side also appear to be darker, and more dense.<p>

Suddenly, the Capitol fanfare plays and an image of President Swift appears in the sky.

"Welcome, tributes, to this, the 225th Hunger Games! In front of you you will find a backpack. It contains no food, no water, and no protection from the elements; However,it will be your means of survival in these games. This year the sponsoring system will be... different from previous years. For the duration of this tournament, you will receive no help from the outside, it is you who must help yourselves! Inside the backpack you will find four flares. 2 Blue flares labelled 'One', 1 Red flare labelled 'Two' And one Black flare labelled 'Four'. By calling out either 'Weapon' or 'Supplies' whilst firing one of these flares, a package will be delivered to you, the contents of which will be randomly selected from a list. As the level of flare increases, so does the quality of gift you will receive, but so too does the risk. The number on the flare represents the chance out of 12 that the flare will backfire, injuring you in the process. Good luck children, and this year moreso than ever, may the _ odds_ be ever in your favor.

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><p><em><strong>Hokay, so that's just a short explanation of the sponsoring system! let me know what you think. i know its a little odd, but it makes sense and will actually work... i think :P<strong>_

_**So from here i need everyone to PM! (Note that i said PM, not review) stating what your tribute is going to do, where they'll go, what's their game plan from here. The first 3 or 4 to reply i will then PM back with a scenario in the arena, most likely something environmental, or meeting up with another tribute. Up to you how this turns out :):) hope i'm not rushing this guys. I'm just here to have a good time and i hope you do too. **_

**_Also, just a little side note for the careers and the careers only, you may or may not choose to follow Ayame's plan and go east to meet up, this is your decision. For all others of you thinking you'll just head east and join up with the careers, not gonna happen. They are a very exclusive group and if you tell me you're going to go over and try to join, im going to be realistic and have them kill your tribute, its honestly the only scenario i see happening :/._**

**_On the upside, the story is continuing! Only problem is, now the burden is on your shoulders, these are your tributes and it's their story, i'm just the dude at the desk piecing it all together. _**

**_Happy hunting ;) _**


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